-  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
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        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
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                                            Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the changes in frequency to train services at (a) Shotts, (b) Airdrie, (c) Falkirk Grahamston, (d) Falkirk High and (e) Polmont railway station (i) from 23 May 2022 and (ii) as a result of the Fit for the Future timetable consultation.
                                Answer
                                    The following table outlines the changes in frequency for the stations requested from ScotRail’s May 2022 Fit for the Future Timetable and ScotRail’s temporary timetable:-
Timetable data for standard weekday, correct as of 07 June 2022  | 
Station  | Timetable  | Frequency (trains per hour [tph])  | 
SHOTTS  | May-22  | To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day.   To/from Edinburgh - 1tph all day.   Additional services at peak times.  | 
SHOTTS  | Temporary  | To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day.   To/from Edinburgh - 1tph all day.   Additional services at peak times.  | 
AIRDRIE  | May-22  | To/from Glasgow - 4tph until evening, then 2tph.   To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day.   Additional services at peak times.  | 
AIRDRIE  | Temporary  | To/from Glasgow - 4tph all day.   To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day.   Additional services at peak times.  | 
FALKIRK GRAHAMSTON  | May-22  | To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day.   To/from Edinburgh - 2tph until evening, then 1tph.   To/from Dunblane - 2tph until evening, then 1tph.   Additional services at peak times.  | 
FALKIRK GRAHAMSTON  | Temporary  | To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day.   To/from Edinburgh - 1tph until final gap of 4 hours.   To/from Dunblane - 1tph all day.   Additional services at peak times.  | 
FALKIRK HIGH  | May-22  | To/from Glasgow - 2tph all day.   To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day.   Additional Services at peak times.  | 
FALKIRK HIGH  | Temporary  | To/from Glasgow - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours.   To/from Edinburgh - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours.  | 
POLMONT  | May-22  | To/from Dunblane - 2tph until evening, then 1tph.   To/from Edinburgh - 4tph until evening, then 3tph.   To/from Glasgow - 2tph all day.   Additional services at peak times.  | 
POLMONT  | Temporary  | To/from Dunblane - 1tph all day.   To/from Edinburgh - 3tph until final gap of 2 hours.   To/from Glasgow - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours.   Additional services at peak times.  | 
 
 
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
                                            -     
        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
                                        
 
                                    - 
                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government when it was first informed of the changes by ScotRail to the train timetable that were introduced on 23 May 2022.
                                Answer
                                    Transport Scotland was informed of the temporary timetable proposal by Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd on 11 May 2022. 
 
 
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
                                            -     
        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Kate Forbes on 10 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will guarantee that any application for Green Freeports in Scotland, which does not include an explicit commitment to supporting the implementation of Fair Work First, will not be successful.
                                Answer
                                    The bidding prospectus underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to a Fair Work First approach, and also the commitment of all of Scotland’s local authorities. We would therefore hope and expect that all bids would reflect that. We have made clear that the Scottish Government will only support applications which include clear commitments on this front.
 
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
                                            -     
        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Kate Forbes on 10 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the in the application for Green Freeports in Scotland, what the maximum percentage score is that is awarded for the applicants’ commitment to fair work practices.
                                Answer
                                    I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08668 on 10 June 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers 
 
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
                                            -     
        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
                                        
 
                                    - 
                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Kate Forbes on 10 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government what the overall percentage weighted score is for bids for Green Freeports in Scotland that have, or will only have, contracts with companies that have recognition agreements with trade unions.
                                Answer
                                    The framework for assessing applications for Green Freeport status is described in the joint bidding prospectus published on 25 March, which can be accessed at  Green Freeports in Scotland: bidding prospectus - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  . Applicants’ commitments in relation to fair work practices will be considered under the lead objective: promote regeneration and high quality job creation. Only applications which achieve a high score on this objective will be shortlisted for ministerial consideration.
 
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
                                            -     
        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
                                        
 
                                    - 
                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Kate Forbes on 10 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take in to ensure that workers in Green Freeports in Scotland will have access to trade unions with collective bargaining rights.
                                Answer
                                    Once operational Green Freeports will be subject to rigorous monitoring and reporting requirements. The Scottish Government will keep their performance under close review right across the fair work agenda. Provision of appropriate channels for effective voice, such as trade union recognition, is a key aspect of our Fair Work First approach.
 
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
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                                            Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                                Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the 6,600 nursing and midwifery vacancies reported at the end of 2021.
                                Answer
                                Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2022
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
                                            -     
        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
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                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
                                        
 
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                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Jenny Gilruth on 8 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07655 by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022, whether any changes were made to the draft Temporary Measures Agreement, shared with Serco on 25 February 2022, before it was agreed, and, if so, what these changes were.
                                Answer
                                    There were no substantive changes made to the draft of the Temporary Measures Agreement (TMA) shared with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited (‘Serco’) on 25 February 2022. 
The changes amounted to the correction of one typographical error, and the inclusion of a minor drafting clarification.
 
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
                                            -     
        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
                                        
 
                                    - 
                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Jenny Gilruth on 8 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason ScotRail tickets that are sold as part of its half-price sale are not available from ticket offices.
                                Answer
                                    During the time of the offer passengers could purchase tickets via a dedicated telephone line as well as the ScotRail website and app, and ScotRail staff were briefed to ensure they could assist passengers wanting to access the offer. 
Online offers such as the recent one, enable ScotRail to undertake detailed analysis, which, if successful, can be rolled out on a wider basis. It is right and prudent that such offers not only give passengers discounts, but that as far as possible they offer value for the public sector particularly in the current financial challenges.
 
                         
                        
                            
                                
                                
                                        -  Asked by:     Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
 
                                            -     
        Submitting member has a registered interest.
    
 
                                        - 
                                            Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
                                        
 
                                    - 
                                        Current Status:
                                            Answered by   Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2022
                                    
 
                                
                            
To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of antisocial behaviour were recorded on the Scottish rail network in every month in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
                                Answer
                                    Incidents of anti-social behaviour on the rail network in Scotland are recorded by the British Transport Police (BTP) and can be sourced via the following link:-  Stats and data | British Transport Police (btp.police.uk)