Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-02583

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to build a case for making a direct award of the next Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract to an in-house operator, as stated on page 28 of the Scottish Government Ferry Services Procurement Policy, Interim Report - Emerging Findings, published in December 2017.

The Scottish Ministers are committed to ensure the most efficient and best value arrangement to deliver our key lifeline ferry services. An independent review of the current legal structures and governance arrangements around the provision of ferry services is already underway. There is nothing ‘off limits’ to the appointed consultants when addressing the issues within the scope of the review, including the direct award option. The review remains on track and we hope to publish the provisional outcomes of the review around the end of the year.

Question reference: S6W-02581

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of when the contract between Transport Scotland and Jacobs UK Limited, to review transport governance structures in Scotland, was signed, and what the duration of the contract is.

Jacobs were awarded the review of transport governance structures in Scotland, which formed part of the National Transport Strategy review, through a Task Order. This was progressed as a call off from the previously signed Agreement as a supplier for one of the Lots forming part of the Multi-Supplier Framework Agreement for Transport and Land-Use Modelling and Transport Appraisal and Planning.

The duration of the Task Order was 13 and a half months from November 2017 to 31 December 2018.

Question reference: S6W-02580

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what information is has regarding whether Jacobs UK Limited has consulted (a) trade unions and (b) other stakeholders, as part of its contract with Transport Scotland to review transport governance structures in Scotland.

A collaborative approach including stakeholder engagement was undertaken by Jacobs in taking forward the work to consider the roles and responsibilities of the bodies within Scotland as part of its review of transport governance structures. Transport Scotland published a report in July 2019: national-transport-strategy-transport-governance-working-group-report.pdf .

Stakeholders engaged in this process included: the National Transport Strategy (NTS2) Roles and Responsibilities Working Group; the Society of Chief Officers in Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS); Regional Transport Partnership (RTP) leads; Transport Scotland and Scottish Government modal policy leads; and public transport operators.

In July 2019, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on the draft National Transport Strategy for Scotland including two questions relating to transport governance regarding democracy, decision-making and delivery. Trade unions had the opportunity to provide a response to the consultation and one trade union, ASLEF, did so and 1, 221 responses to the consultation were received in total.

Question reference: S6W-02579

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01420 by Graeme Dey on 6 August 2021, whether it will provide details of (a) the terms of reference for the independent review and (b) the value of the contract between Transport Scotland and the consultants for this work.

Question reference: S6O-00139

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures have been put in place to keep prison officers and prisoners safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-02136

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01420 by Graeme Dey on 6 August 2021, what plans it has to review the governance structures at Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).

Scottish Ministers advised the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee throughout the course of their inquiry leading to publication in Dec 2020 of its report “The Procurement and Construction of Ferry Vessels in Scotland” that, as part of a drive for continuous improvement, a review would be undertaken of the current legal constraints and governance arrangements for the existing tripartite of CMAL, Transport Scotland and David MacBrayne Limited including its subsidiaries. We have already advised this review is underway and provided further details to the committee on 11 March 2021 and the answers to S6W-01516 and S6W-01517 on 6 August 2021

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

Question reference: S6W-02134

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01419 by Graeme Dey on 6 August 2021, by what date it expects to report to the Scottish Parliament on the outcome of its consideration of the UK Government’s draft legislation.

Question reference: S6W-02137

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01202 by Graeme Dey on 6 August 2021, whether it will list (a) the seven core and (b) any additional shipbrokers that Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) are working with to identify suitable tonnage for charter on routes in the contract for Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services, and (c) any vessels that have been recommended by a shipbroker to CMAL for purchase since 1 January 2015.

The information requested is held by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd who considers this to be commercially sensitive and that its release could make it more challenging to achieve value for money for Scottish taxpayers. In addition the Scottish Government could potentially be held responsible for any detrimental effect to the market value of the those vessels that remain available, should it be known it had decided against their purchase.

Question reference: S6W-02135

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01420 by Graeme Dey on 6 August 2021, which organisation is carrying out the independent review; when the contract for this work was signed by Transport Scotland, and whether it will publish the terms of reference for this review.

These issues were addressed in my response to question S6W-01417 on 6 August 2021 and the name of the consultants, Ernst and Young LLP, was highlighted in our letter to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee of 11 March 2021. The contract was signed on 9 March 2021.

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

Question reference: S6O-00110

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to supporting the building of affordable homes for rent.

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