Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-02822

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £24.7 million funding to upgrade the Laurencekirk south junction will be delivered alongside and in addition to the £200 million investment in north east rail improvements between Aberdeen and Dundee.

Question reference: S6W-02823

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which additional projects will be funded from the £254 million to support transport, housing and digital initiatives announced in 2016 as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

In 2016 the Scottish Government committed to invest up to £125 million in the Aberdeen City Region Deal, matched by the UK Government. Alongside the Deal, the Scottish Government announced an additional £254 million of investment in the North East’s Infrastructure.

This includes £200 million to help improve journey times and increase capacity on key rail links between Aberdeen and the Central Belt, and £24m for a new grade separated junction at the Laurencekirk A90/A937 south junction. The rail improvement project is on course to conclude option selection by early next year and we expect to complete the project by the end of 2026. We also continue to push forward with the statutory authorisation stage for the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement scheme. Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence if it is approved under the relevant statutory procedures, at which point a timetable for the construction phase can be set.

In addition, up to £10 million was committed to help extend digital infrastructure across the City Deal region and the City Network Extension project, which is delivering full fibre connectivity to a number of public sector sites across the city of Aberdeen, is expected to complete later this year while the Full Fibre Project in Aberdeenshire is expected to complete next year.

To date no eligible housing infrastructure projects have been submitted as part of the £20m indicative allocation referred to in the 2016 agreement.

Question reference: S6W-02563

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the Ironside Farrar report, which was prepared on behalf of Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Crown Estate Scotland, Port Enhancements for Offshore Wind: Assessment of Current and Future Marshalling & Assembly Capacity in Scottish Ports, and whether it plans to take any action as a result of the report's findings.

The offshore wind sector has a vital role to play in decarbonising our energy system and ensuring we become a net-zero economy by 2045. With a pipeline of new projects set to be provided by the first cycle of ScotWind leasing, the Scottish Government committed to setting out a Strategic Investment Assessment (SIA) for Offshore Wind within our first 100 Days of Government and this was published on 20 August. The findings contained within the report by Ironside Farrar were essential in assessing current and future marshalling and assembly capacity in Scotland’s ports and form a key element of the SIA findings and recommendations. Both the SIA and the Ironside Farrar report set out a clear path of the steps we must take to seize the economic opportunity offshore wind supply chain presents for Scotland. The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) co-chaired by Ivan McKee, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise and Brian McFarlane of SSE, will be responsible for taking forward delivery of the recommendations and actions from the SIA which includes the findings from the Ironside Farrar report.

Question reference: S6W-02463

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01360 by Graeme Dey on 16 August 2021, what the reasons are for 13% of its vehicle fleet, which includes Transport Scotland’s fleet, being comprised of zero-emission vehicles, and what its position is on whether this percentage should be higher.

The Scottish Government’s policy is to replace vehicles when they reach the end of their operational life cycle, with fully electric replacements, wherever possible.

During the last 3 years we have procured 63 Ultra Low Emitting vehicles (ULEV’s). 40% of the purchases were zero-emission electric vehicles.

This replacement strategy allows us to increase the number of electric vehicles on the fleet, year on year, implementing the targets set out in the 2019-20 Programme for Government, where we outlined our commitment to phase out the need for all petrol or diesel cars in the public sector fleet by 2025 and for all other new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-02821

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the most recent timetable for the delivery of the Laurencekirk south junction upgrade.

The Scottish Government is committed to completing the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement as soon as possible.

Transport Scotland continues to negotiate with objectors to resolve their concerns as soon as possible and also continues to work with Aberdeenshire Council to find a solution to their decision to close the existing Oatyhill Bridge to traffic. Should Transport Scotland be unsuccessful in removing all objections a public local inquiry may be required. As with all trunk road projects this is the appropriate forum for considering objections received and not withdrawn.

Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence if it is approved under the relevant statutory procedures, at which point a timetable for its progress can be set.

Question reference: S6O-00226

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent research, which suggests that chain stores in Scotland closed at a rate of 30 per week during the first six months of 2021.

Question reference: S6W-02683

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will distribute the first funds under the ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray.

We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.

The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.

Question reference: S6W-02678

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the projected outcomes and targets are for the ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray.

We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.

The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.

Question reference: S6W-02679

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) to whom it will distribute the ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray.

We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.

The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.

Question reference: S6W-02681

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm the budget stream(s) from which the ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray will be drawn.

We will work collaboratively with partners, communities and other stakeholders to take forward the ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray. The delivery of the Fund will exemplify our co-design and co-delivery approach that will be supported by a programme of broad engagement in the area. This Fund is a new commitment which will require detailed policy design work and implementation planning. We will provide further information on the process in due course.

The Just Transition Fund will support and accelerate energy transition, create good, green jobs and maximise the region’s future economic potential. We are determined to tackle climate emergency and mitigate the impacts of the transition on communities across Scotland, and we will work at pace to deliver our sectoral plans for a just transition.

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