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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-02812

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to smaller rural communities when setting the assessment criteria for the Scottish Stations Fund.

The assessment criteria for the £30 million Scottish Stations Fund, which aims to lever in third party funding to provide new and improved stations, covers both rural and urban communities.

All proposals for stations should firstly be directed to the relevant Regional Transport Partnership (RTP) to assess how it fits with their local and regional transport strategies. If appropriate, the RTP will undertake an appraisal to determine the most suitable transport options for the area. The scope and level of detail required in the appraisal is determined by the nature and scale of the transport problems and the impacts of the potential transport options in a particular area.

Transport Scotland officials are always available to offer advice and guidance on the proportionate application of Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance, if requested.

Funding has already been approved through the Stations Fund for improvements at both urban and rural stations benefiting passengers using ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper services.

Question reference: S5W-02785

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) Transport Scotland and (b) Amey regarding the maintenance of (i) pavements, (ii) road signage and (iii) street furniture in Langholm.

Transport Scotland is part of the Scottish Government and discussions / meetings with occur regularly in the normal course of business.

Transport Scotland continues to have regular and frequent discussions with its Operating Company (Amey) regarding the effective maintenance and management of all trunk roads in the south east of Scotland, including the A7 through Langholm.

The Minister for Transport and Islands met the A7 Action Group in Parliament on 15 June 2016 to discuss their Action Plan, which set out its aspirations for the route and included a number of improvements in the vicinity of Langholm. Transport Scotland has undertaken a review and identified a range of items within the Action Plan that they now propose to take forward further consideration towards. This will be done alongside on-going maintenance and improvement programmes on the route.

Question reference: S5W-02784

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that (a) pavements, (b) road signage and (c) street furniture in towns and villages on trunk routes are maintained.

Question reference: S5W-02786

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how Transport Scotland surveys the trunk road network to identify any need for repairs.

Our inspection regime is designed to ensure that the trunk road network is safe for use and fit for purpose and to provide the data required to support asset maintenance planning. The regime is set out in the Road Asset Management Plan for Scottish Trunk Roads which can be accessed at: http://www.transport.gov.scot/road/maintenance/road-asset-management-plan

We commission annual machine-based road condition surveys to ensure that we achieve best value from our structural maintenance programme. Deflectograph surveys provide an indication of road structural strength to estimate remaining useful life; Scanner surveys provide an assessment of current surface condition and SCRIM surveys provide a measure of wet skidding resistance.

Also, in accordance with their contractual requirements, our trunk road operating companies are required to carry out safety inspections, safety patrols, night time survey patrols, detailed inspections and condition surveys. Our operating company contracts can be accessed at: http://www.transport.gov.scot/road/maintenance/operating-companies .

Question reference: S5W-02842

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many times have temporary traffic lights in operation on the A76 have failed in the last 12 months.

Question reference: S5W-02811

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its total investment in rail has been in each year since 2007.

Between 2007-08 and 2015-16, we have spent over £7 billion in our Rail Network, including 76km of new railways delivered and 13 new stations opened.
The budgeted spend on rail in 2016-17 totals a further £0.75 million. The totals for each year are as follows;

Year	Actual Spend £000
2007-08	936,273
2008-09	835,751
2009-10	806,960
2010-11	749,018
2011-12	708,156
2012-13	748,400
2013-14	836,961
2014-15	692,325
2015-16	748,587
2016-17 Budget	740,591
TOTAL	7,803,022

Source: Years 2007-08 – 2015-16: Transport Scotland Annual Report and Accounts, Year 2016-17: published Scottish Budget

Question reference: S5W-02826

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to review the financial support given to local authorities to assist with local road repairs following the recent Audit Scotland report, Maintaining Scotland's Roads, A follow-up report.

Question reference: S5W-02780

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many sets of temporary traffic lights there are on the Transport Scotland road network (a) nationally and (b) in Dumfries and Galloway.

Question reference: S5W-02837

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it became aware of outstanding repair works on the A76 between Sanquhar and Thornhill.

Question reference: S5W-02838

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers have had with Transport Scotland regarding outstanding repair works on the A76.