Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:30 pm on 23 May 2024.
Baroness Katy Clark
Labour
2:30,
23 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve facilities at railway stations operated by ScotRail. (S6O-03475)
Fiona Hyslop
Scottish National Party
As I stated in my recent letter to the member, the Scottish Government has invested whenever possible in specialised facilities referred to as changing places, such as those at the redeveloped Glasgow Queen Street station, at Dundee station and at Troon station, which will open this summer. Accessible toilets were also added to Motherwell and Stirling stations during redevelopment work, and the new East Kilbride station building and the new Hairmyres station will have accessible toilets and baby changing facilities.
As my colleague is aware, all ScotRail trains are well equipped with onboard facilities, including fully accessible toilets and baby changing facilities for passengers. Fully accessible facilities are also available at all main railway stations in Scotland.
Baroness Katy Clark
Labour
Figures that were released to my office by ScotRail show that only 22 per cent of Scotland’s 357 train stations have toilets for public and staff use, that fewer than one in five stations have baby changing facilities and that only two stations have the changing places facilities that are important for disabled passengers. Does the Cabinet secretary agree that those are basic passenger expectations and that we must increase the number of such facilities in stations? Is that being made clear to ScotRail?
Fiona Hyslop
Scottish National Party
The member has raised the issue now and has also done so in writing to me. That is a matter for ScotRail. We know that providing additional space requires investment. Some stations have historical layouts and have little space available for such facilities. Where redevelopment is possible, that has been a priority for ScotRail, and I will ensure that ScotRail is made acutely aware of the concern that the member has raised.
Annabelle Ewing
Scottish National Party
That concludes transport portfolio questions.
Before we move to the next item of business, I suspend this meeting.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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