- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10025 by Richard Lochhead on 22 August 2022, whether it anticipates the reported approximately 70,000 jobs currently sustained in the north east by oil and gas to remain in the north east by 2030, whether in oil and gas and/or renewables.
Answer
The Robert Gordon University report – Making the Switch, funded through the North-East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund (NEERSF), estimates between 70,000 and 80,000 people are directly and indirectly employed in the offshore energy sector in Scotland, with around 65% working or based in the North East.
This report highlights over 90% of the workforce has medium to high skills transferability between adjacent energy sectors, such as offshore wind, the use of hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. This indicates the North East is well placed to capitalise on the opportunities associated with the energy transition and could become either a UK or Global Energy Hub, with the expected result of the energy workforce remaining broadly stable or increasing by 2030.
The Scottish Government is supporting this transition from the oil and gas sector to renewables and low carbon through a number of programmes, including, but not limited to, the £75 million Energy Transition Fund and our £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray.
The Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan is key to ensuring everyone can benefit from the opportunities a Just Transition can create, whether the requirement is to improve on existing skills or retrain to a new or emerging green job.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10125 by Patrick Harvie on 25 August 2022, whether it will provide the information requested and confirm what (a) information it holds on what the estimated demand for electricity will be in Scotland from 2025 should its proposed ban on the use of direct emissions heating systems in new-build properties from 2024 be put in place, and in light of its projected increase in EV use, and (b) its position is on whether renewables will be able to consistently meet any increased demand for electricity in Scotland from 2025 as a result of its proposals; on what data or projections its position is based, and, in light of it not providing this information in its answer, whether it will confirm whether it has undertaken any planning or work to gather this information or make its own projections in relation to its proposals in this area.
Answer
Security of electricity supply is a reserved policy area, delivered through UK Government electricity policy, Ofgem as the independent GB energy regulator, and National Grid ESO (the GB Electricity System Operator), as noted in the response to your question on 25 August.
Scotland has an abundance of renewable electricity generation that exceeds our average annual demand. Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will set out further analysis on electricity security, in light of increased decarbonisation of heat and transport.
However, based on current rates of new build development, a ban on the use of direct emission heating systems in new build properties could equate to an additional 100GWh of demand every year. This would add just 0.3% to our total electricity demand remaining well within the margin of our maximum supply capacity of 10GW.
Similarly, based on Transport Scotland’s electricity demand scenarios, the average annual additional electricity demand from EV’s (cars and vans) is just 186GWh for the period 2022 – 2030.
It is also important to highlight that network companies are investing to ensure that our infrastructure can support our transition to net zero. Both Scottish Distribution Network Operators have worked closely with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders to ensure that their business plans reflect the scale and pace of deployment necessary to meet Scotland’s net zero and interim targets.
These plans are being assessed by the energy regulator Ofgem, and we expect a final decision on proposed investments by November this year.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Japanese government’s reported decision to consider building new nuclear power plants due to the Ukraine war, soaring energy costs, and to meet Japan’s target of going carbon neutral by 2050, will have an impact on Scotland and Scottish Government energy policy-making.
Answer
Japan is a key partner country to Scotland, with numerous shared interests, including renewable energy and the subsea/offshore industry. However, the Scottish Government position on nuclear power is clear – we do not support the building of new nuclear power stations in Scotland under current technologies.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the total final cost of ScotRail's nationalisation was, in relation to the transfer of operations of ScotRail from Abellio to the nationalised operator.
Answer
The decision to bring ScotRail under public control avoided the need to run an expensive and inappropriate rail franchising competition. Though widely acknowledged as a failed model, franchise competitions remain the preferred approach in current UK Legislation. Such exercises typically cost in excess of £10m for franchising authorities, as well as the similarly significant costs of each bidder.
As confirmed during my Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee appearance on 15 March 2022, prior to that date, since the decision to proceed with the “Operator of Last Resort” (OLR) option was taken in March 2021, £3.6 million had been spent on the OLR activity.
Final reconciliation figures confirm that £5.5 million has been spent in total on OLR activity, and ScotRail Trains Ltd. was mobilised successfully on 1 April. I am confident you will notice the saving this achieved when compared with a franchising competition.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09822 by Jenny Gilruth on 5 August 2022, what the ScotRail budget has been in each year from 1 April 2016 to 1 April 2023, and, for each year, what proportion of the budget, expressed as a percentage, was allocated to (a) staff costs, (b) rolling stock improvements and changes, (c) station facilities, (d) rail replacement services, (e) maintenance, operations and upgrades and (f) any other headline category of spend used by ScotRail.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold the details of ScotRail expenditure broken down by the categories you have requested.
The Scottish Government budget for Rail Passenger Services, which covers both ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper, has been published as :
2016 £266m
2017 £311m
2018 £183m
2019 £150m
2020 £239m
2021 £370m
2022 £407m
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been undertaken in the last five years of the effectiveness of its plans to tackle stalking and harassment.
Answer
A refresh of the Equally Safe Delivery Plan outlining the joint commitment of the Scottish Government and COSLA to preventing and eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls, which includes stalking and sexual harassment, and tackling underpinning attitudes that perpetuate it, was published in June 2022. The Scottish Government also regularly monitors the effectiveness of legislation and the funding it provides to relevant support services, such as Action Against Stalking and the Scottish Women's Rights Centre.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 20 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether funding has continued for Action Against Stalking further to the initial investment of £55,000 in the 2019-20 victim/witness support budget.
Answer
We have continued to increase our funding to Action Against Stalking since 2019. In 2020-21 we provided almost £115,000 in funding and in 2021-22 we provided £100,000.
In March 2022 we announced funding of £495,000 over the period 2022-25 from the new Victim Centred Approach Fund to enable Action Against Stalking to deliver expert support to victims, and continue their work to improve the understanding of, and response to, stalking behaviours.
We are also providing up to £230,000 a year through the Scottish Legal Aid budget, and £384,000 in 2022-23 from the Justice portfolio, to the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre to offer free legal information and advice to women experiencing gender based violence, including stalking and harassment.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on transport infrastructure improvements in the north east.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-08649, S6W-09452 and S6W-09553 by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June and 28 July 2022, whether it can provide a breakdown of the figures provided in response to each of three questions for the North East region.
Answer
ScotRail does not record passenger complaints data by region, but by rail route. The following below table shows ScotRail’s complaints data for routes which serve the North East region.
Complaint Type | April | May | June |
1st Class | 14 | 21 | 28 |
Assisted Travel | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Capacity | 8 | 17 | 26 |
Contact Centre | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Customer Provisions | 1 | 6 | 0 |
Cycles | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Environment | 6 | 3 | 2 |
Policy And Product | 5 | 2 | 6 |
Staff | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Timetable | 0 | 5 | 2 |
Train Service Performance | 1 | 20 | 19 |
TOTAL | 42 | 78 | 88 |
ScotRail has confirmed that the routes detailed below were included in this data. The member should note that the data reflects complaints which may have occurred at any point on the route:
- Aberdeen-Edinburgh
- Aberdeen-Glasgow
- Aberdeen-Inverness
- Dundee-Glasgow
- Edinburgh-Arbroath
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 August 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints were received by ScotRail from (a) passengers and (b) staff between 1 and 31 July 2022, broken down by the reason for the complaint.
Answer
The number of passenger complaints received by ScotRail, through their official complaints process, is set out on the following table for the period 1 July to 31 July 2022. The complaints may involve incidents that occurred before 1 July 2022.
The figure for 1 July to 31 July 2022 is 1192. This complaints figure is likely to reflect the point in time when several services were impacted due to driver shortages and the subsequent reduction in services as a result of the temporary timetable in place from 23 May to 20 July 2022. In this period there was also a GB-wide strike by Network Rail staff on 27 July which significantly impacted services in Scotland, with ScotRail only able to run a very limited service as a result.
The temporary timetable that was in place until 20 July 2022 aimed to provide the best available service to as many passengers as possible.
Complaints from staff are not included in figures due to these being customer relation figures. However, ScotRail do have a system in place to record staff grievances within their HR team.
Complaint Categories | 01-31 Jul 2022 |
Policy And Product | 260 |
Staff | 224 |
Train Service Performance | 136 |
Capacity | 110 |
Timetable | 107 |
Environment | 102 |
1st Class | 62 |
Assisted Travel | 25 |
Customer Provisions | 25 |
Ticket Buying Facilities | 22 |
Safety & Security | 20 |
Information Provision | 18 |
Contact Centre | 18 |
Smartcard | 15 |
Promotions | 13 |
Station Facilities | 13 |
Cycles | 9 |
Rail Replacement | 8 |
Double Debit | 5 |
Total | 1192 |
