Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:00 pm on 13 June 2024.
Emma Roddick
Scottish National Party
2:00,
13 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it envisages that the recommendations of the second strategic transport projects review will benefit the people of the Highlands and Islands. (S6O-03570)
Fiona Hyslop
Scottish National Party
The Government is committed to developing and maintaining a safe, resilient and sustainable transport network to connect our communities. STPR2 includes 37 recommendations, out of a total of 45, to improve connectivity for the people of the Highlands and Islands.
We are already investing in our ports and vessels for both the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and the northern isles ferry services—the CHFS and NIFS networks. We are also enhancing active travel connections and we are improving the A83. In conjunction with other STPR2 recommendations, including an integrated transport plan for Fort William, those measures will collectively improve reliability, accessibility and travel choice for the Highlands and Islands.
Emma Roddick
Scottish National Party
I thank the Cabinet secretary for that answer. Fast, easy train journeys can play a huge part in getting people and freight off the roads. Can the cabinet secretary speak to the potential for rail infrastructure improvements across my region, the Highlands and Islands, particularly for the Highland main line, given its potential to reduce traffic and freight on the A9, where heavy loads can cause frustration and slower journeys?
Fiona Hyslop
Scottish National Party
Phase 1 of the Highland main line improvement project was delivered back in 2012, and that increased services from nine to 11 trains. The main part of that project, phase 2, was completed in March 2019, at a cost of £57 million. That included upgrades at Aviemore and Pitlochry stations for signalling, along with the extension of the passing loop at Aviemore and the reconfiguration and extension of the platforms at Pitlochry, which enabled the simultaneous arrival of trains at both those stations.
There are currently no active enhancement projects on the Highland main line, but officials at Transport Scotland continue to revise its programmes of work against the priorities in the context of the available funding.
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.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
