Thursday 4 January 2018 SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT Education, Communities and Justice Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland will offer a similar service to the British Transport Police 61016 text number for reporting crime after it assumes responsibility for railway policing. (S5W-13317) Humza Yousaf: This is an operational matter for Police Scotland. Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in implementing the recommendation in the report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, Strategic overview of British Transport Police in Scotland including the proposed transfer to Police Scotland, that (a) performance measures specific to railway policing should be monitored up to and beyond the point of the transfer, (b) additional performance measures specifically relating to the transfer should be developed, (c) a railway policing workforce strategy should be developed, (d) a detailed analysis of the benefits, disbenefits and risks of the transfer should be carried out, and (e) the Scottish Police Authority should explore how it can secure expertise in the rail industry or in railway policy among its board members. (S5W-13359) Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is working closely with other partners on the Joint Programme Board to consider the key findings of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland's report. Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the possible (a) advantages, (b) disadvantages and (c) costs of the proposed merger of British Transport Police and Police Scotland. (S5W-13414) Humza Yousaf: The benefits of integration were identified in the Policy Memorandum to the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill: - ensuring that railway policing in Scotland is accountable, through the Chief Constable and the SPA, to the people of Scotland; - enhancing railway policing in Scotland through direct access to the specialist resources of Police Scotland; - future-proofing the infrastructure policing model in Scotland against changes that may arise from the review of infrastructure policing in England and Wales. Alongside the Policy Memorandum, the Scottish Government published a report compiled by an independent research company that summarised the views of respondents to the Scottish Government consultation, including benefits and disbenefits. The Financial Memorandum set out projected costs associated with the Bill. The Joint Programme Board which is overseeing the programme has continued to develop its understanding of benefits, risks and costs as more detailed work on integration has progressed. Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) terms and conditions and (b) pensions of British Transport Police officers will be affected by the merger with Police Scotland. (S5W-13415) Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has given clear assurances in Parliament that the terms and conditions, pay and pensions of British Transport Police officers and staff will be the same as they are currently, or that an equivalent level of benefit will be provided to ensure transfer takes place on a no-detriment basis. Transport Scotland Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what was the annual net (a) income, (b) expenditure and (c) profit has been each year under the current ScotRail franchise, and what the estimated figure is for 2017-18. (S5W-13271) Humza Yousaf: The current ScotRail Franchise made a profit of £9,519k for the 9 months of 2015 (Income of £485,703k, and Total Expenditure of £476,184k) and a loss of £3,370k for the full year of 2016 (Income of £610,118k, and Total Expenditure of £613,488k). Figures for 2017 or 2018 are not yet available. Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government how many passenger journeys there have been each year under the current ScotRail franchise, and what the estimated figure is for 2017-18. (S5W-13272) Humza Yousaf: With respect to the number of passenger journeys in each year (2015-16; 2016-17) under the current ScotRail franchise, this information is available on-line, at the ORR Data Portal. While the Scottish Government has sighted estimates for patronage within ScotRail’s Business Plan for 2017-18, this information is classified as commercially confidential, until the final patronage figures are confirmed and published. We would expect the patronage result for 2017-18 to be published in mid-2018. Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether ScotRail should be a profit-making franchise. (S5W-13273) Humza Yousaf: The structure of rail franchising in the UK as determined by the Railways Act 1993 and as amended by the Railway Act 2005, recognises the right of the Franchisee to make profit. However, profit is not guaranteed for ScotRail, they must manage the services and meet our highly specified service requirements efficiently and effectively to make the profit they have forecast and where they do not, they will make much less, or a loss. The Scottish Government ensured that the Franchisee is prevented from making excessive profits, whereby in the case where it achieves a revenue above a defined level, as committed to in its bid, the Franchisee must pay back any profit above that to Scottish Ministers. Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that the present ScotRail franchise agreement was not correctly priced. (S5W-13274) Humza Yousaf: The competition previously held to procure the present ScotRail Franchise was evaluated rigorously on the basis of the most advantageous balance of quality (35%) and price (65%). Reviews by both Audit Scotland and independent auditors supported the process and the outcome of the competition. Mike Rumbles (North East Scotland) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on ScotRail reducing on-board facilities such as catering in order to improve profitability. (S5W-13309) Humza Yousaf: ScotRail has confirmed it has vacancies in its hospitality team which were affecting its ability to provide the advertised catering service. In response to these issues I can advise that ScotRail is undertaking targeted recruitment to ensure that it can deliver the consistent service that customers expect. I understand that this should be complete within the next few weeks. The Scottish Government is also committed to working in partnership with Abellio ScotRail and its alliance partner Network Rail to ensure the success of the ScotRail franchise, and that is why we insisted in “no compulsory redundancy agreement” during the life of the ScotRail franchise with all staff being paid at least the Living Wage. Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) location of each permanent and (b) area covered by each mobile speed camera in the City of Edinburgh local authority area. (S5W-13310) Humza Yousaf: The location of all safety cameras in Scotland, including those in the City of Edinburgh local authority area, is available on the Safety Cameras Scotland website at: http://www.safetycameras.gov.scot/cameras/safety-camera-locations/east/edinburgh-city/ Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government from which routes the class 380 trains that have been recently introduced on the Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk line have been drawn, and how ScotRail is managing the redeployment. (S5W-13338) Humza Yousaf: The four class Class 380 trains which are now providing 9,500 extra seats per day have been used since December 2016 to support ScotRail staff training programme which is required to support the switch in fleet provision on the newly electrified Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk route. These trains have been drawn from adjustments to maintenance programmes and from Ayrshire/ Inverclyde services which in turn were replaced by existing electric trains and additional class 320/4 trains which have been operating since late 2016 across the Strathclyde network. Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the introduction of the class 385 trains on the Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk line. (S5W-13339) Humza Yousaf: Two class 385 trains have just concluded the required testing on the newly electrified Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk route and the data from these dynamic tests will be part of a raft of documents which is submitted early in 2018 to gain approval from the ORR to operate the new fleet in passenger service. Two more class 385s are now in Scotland to help support the on-going driver training and staff familiarisation programme ahead of gradual service introduction of the new longer, faster, greener fleet in the coming months. Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what the cause was of the train fault that resulted in disruption to services at Glasgow Central station on the morning of 11 December 2017, and which unit was affected. (S5W-13340) Humza Yousaf: Whilst approaching Glasgow Central station