Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:00 pm on 25 September 2025.
Annie Wells
Conservative
2:00,
25 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve night-time public transport connections between city centres and suburban areas, including support for late-night bus and rail services to improve affordability, safety and service reliability. (S6O-04991)
Jim Fairlie
Scottish National Party
The Scottish Government delivered all the powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to enable local transport authorities, working with stakeholders, to improve local bus services over the longer term, according to their local needs.
The complexity of rail network management and maintenance does not currently allow for night-time rail operations. However, recent ScotRail timetable changes introduced later services and increased evening frequency on some suburban routes, including the East Kilbride, Lanark and north Clyde routes. Additional late services from Exhibition Centre station and for specific events have also been added where possible.
ScotRail closely collaborates with its travel safe team and with the British Transport Police, which, along with staff hired for specific events and late services, are enhancing passenger safety. The removal of ScotRail peak fares for good and the planned £2 bus fare cap pilot will further improve affordability for passengers.
Annie Wells
Conservative
Although I welcome any steps that the Government is taking to improve late-night transport links, will the Minister acknowledge the added pressure that is caused by the significant number of black hackney taxis in Glasgow that have been taken off the road because of low-emission zone regulations? The reduction in licensed taxis makes it even harder, particularly for women, to get home safely at night.
What additional support or urgent interventions will the Government consider to ensure that safe, affordable and reliable options are available to everyone who is travelling after hours, especially in areas where late-night buses or trains are limited?
Jim Fairlie
Scottish National Party
Many factors lead to business decisions not to provide services. However, as I have already outlined, ScotRail and the Scottish Government have put in place a number of interventions to allow safe, affordable travel for people at all times of day and evening.
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.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
