►
From YouTube: Topical Questions - 25 September 2018
Description
www.parliament.scot
_
1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to figures for the first quarter of 2018-19 that show ScotRail's reliability is at its worst for over two decades.
2. To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it is making for ordering the enhanced flu vaccination for the forthcoming immunisation programme.
_
Read the full transcript of Topical Questions in the Scottish Parliament Official Report: https://bit.ly/2OSaD6r
A
B
C
However,
the
Scottish
government
continues
to
work
closely
with
both
partners
of
the
Scott
Reil
Alliance,
to
ensure
the
20
recommendations
contained
in
their
performance
improvement
plan
are
the
leveled,
alongside
that
Network
Rail
have
increased
resource
levels
to
improve
infrastructure,
reliability
and
resilience
with
a
specific
focus
in
the
Glasgow
area
to
meet
the
needs
of
the
busiest
rail
network
with
London.
It
should
be
noted
that
Scott
Leo's
performance,
as
reported
in
our
quarterly
release
at
88.9%,
remains
better
than
the
GB
average
of
86
point
nine
percent.
C
We
should
not
lose
sight
of
the
transformational
process
underway
on
railways
with
record
investment
and
infrastructure
enhancements,
as
well
as
new
and
fully
refurbished
rolling
stock
combining
to
deliver
faster
and
additional
services.
Passion
numbers
continue
to
grow
in
response
to
this
investment
Edward.
B
The
cabinet
secretary
for
that
long
answer,
I
do
agree
with
him
that
scott
reil
have
made
many
improvements
with
services,
but
delays
and
cancelations
do
mean
that
passengers
cannot
get
to
work
school
health
appointments
or
many
of
the
other
duties
that
they
have
to
do
during
the
day.
Passengers,
in
my
mind,
are
realistic
about
delays
when
they
occur
often
due
to
challenging
weather
conditions.
However,
satisfaction
Linscott
the
way
scott
reil
handles.
These
delays
has
decreased
by
13
percent
in
the
last
year.
B
A
C
Officer
memories
is
an
important
issue
in
recognizing
some
of
the
challenges
which
we
can
have
on
the
network.
It
may
be
of
interest
to
remember
that
the
PPM
fear
is
attributed
to
Network
real
increased
by
51%
alone
in
the
first
quarter
compared
to
the
previous
quarter
of
the
year
before,
which
demonstrates
that
there
are
issues
around
the
way
in
which
infrastructure
challenges
can
then
have
a
direct
impact
on
real
service
providers
such
as
Scott
mail.
C
All
the
more
reason
for
them
to
be
working
in
partnership
much
more
effectively
to
address
these
issues
and
some
of
the
investments
going
specifically
into
the
infrastructure
in
the
Glasgow
area
through
Network,
real,
which
is
being
coordinated
through
the
Alliance,
is
to
help
to
provide
that
greater
resilience
and
reliability
that's
necessary.
But
equally,
it
is
important
to
make
sure
that
where
there
are
believes
in
cancellations
that
that
is
communicated
to
the
traveling
public
effectively
and
that
there
are
support
services
there
to
assist
individuals
as
and
when
it
is
necessary.
C
I've
met
with
the
head
of
the
Scott
Reil
Alliance
and
also
with
the
new
chief
executive
of
not
real,
to
impress
from
them
very
specifically.
They
need
to
make
sure
that
we
have
greater
focus
on
reliability
and
how
we
communicate
with
the
public
when
they're,
making
use
of
their
services,
with
a
clear
understanding
as
to
the
implications
that
may
have
for
them.
C
B
You
cabinet
secretary,
for
that
reply.
I
would
like
particularly
to
get
specific
examples
of
how
they
are
going
to
produce
communications
to
those
people
that
are
delay
and
perhaps
a
cabinet
secretary
could
elude
to
those
by
letter
after
this
session,
but
turning
to
the
latest
performance
figures,
train
services
to
aviemore,
for
example,
20
percent,
worse
than
the
best
performing
stations
across
elsewhere
in
Scotland,
given
that
trains
are
so
vital
to
the
whole
island
economy.
C
So
the
significant
investment
unin,
but
we've
put
in
some
eight
billion
pounds
of
investment
into
a
real
network
over
the
course
of
the
last
ten
years
or
so,
and
we
will
continue
to
have
an
ambition.
An
ambitious
programme
of
investment.
Going
forward
on
the
members
point
in
relation
to
communication.
I've
get
more
than
happy
to
give
the
member
more
details
and
how
Scott
Lee
wrote
into
improving
that
and
going
forward,
and
if
the
member
does
have
some
very
specific
instances
where
constituents,
but
then
his
region
feels,
though
that
has
not
been
communicated
properly
to
them.
A
D
You
for
saying
no,
so
last
week
we
learned
that
scott
leius
performance
has
plummeted
over
the
last
quarter
with
reliability
at
a
record,
low
and
punctuality.
The
Watsons
2005
week,
Scott
Rios
own
figures,
have
shown
that
the
performance
as
the
theory
it's
so
badly.
They
have
breached
the
franchise
agreement.
This
is
a
feeling,
franchise,
opera
and
within
a
field
franchise
and
model,
but
the
Scottish
government
have
the
power
to
end
this
franchise
early
to
bring
under
public
ownership
by
2022
so
well,
the
cabinet
secretary
use
the
franchise
break
and
bring
Scotland's
trains
under
public
control.
C
Own
officer
I'm
at
Tim's,
quick
confused
by
labels
position
on
these
battles.
They
very
often
say
that
we
should
get
rid
of
franchises,
which
we
can't
do,
because
it's
a
reserved
area
and
also
we
sought
to
make
sure,
there's
a
level
playing
field
between
the
public
sets
in
the
private
sets
of
embedding
for
these
matters,
which
was
repeatedly
refused
by
the
previous
Labor
government,
and
we
have
no
got
agreement
that
that
can
actually
taken
forward
with
the
present
UK
government
but
I'm
even
confused
to
the
point.
C
The
fact
that
the
Welsh
government
have
just
awarded
the
contract
due
to
private
sector
companies
to
deliver
the
railways
in
wheels.
Despite
the
rhetoric
we
get
from
labor
spokespersons
in
these
issues
and
all
of
the
hot
air
we've
had
from
the
Labour
conference
over
the
past
couple
of
days,
so
I'll
tell
you
what
we
will
do
is
we
will
focus
on
making
sure
that
we
continue
to
meet
the
very
significant
vestment
into
our
railways
here
in
Scotland
to
make
sure
that
we've
got
modern,
rolling
stock,
which
is
that
Lieber.
E
C
Despite
the
fact
that
both
parties
were
I,
think
both
Tory
and
with
a
party
opposes
is,
but
that's
despite
the
fact
that
that
the
tail
post
tell
Lane
how
we
carry
our
infrastructure
investment
into
railways,
and
he
do
that
Elaine
with
the
services
that
we
require
within
the
Scottish
real
network
and
I
think
quite
surprising
that
the
unionist
parties
in
this
apartment
continue
to
oppose
this
type
of
approach.
But
we
will
continue
to
what
the
net
will
net.
C
F
Thank
you
for
saving
a
capital.
Second
you'll,
be
aware
that
one
of
the
major
factors
contributing
to
the
low
performance
is
the
particular
Highlands
is
the
propensity
of
singletrack
and
and
you'll
know
that
that
recently
there's
been
a
number
of
breakdowns
in
a
single
breakdown,
the
earth
can
bring
the
whole
highland
mainline
to
hold.
Will
you
commit
to
significant
investment
beyond
the
modest
investment?
That's
already
in
place
that
control
P
did
six
to
address
that
significant
deficiency,
particularly
when
compared
with
the
three
billion
expenditure
from
the
road
that
runs
beside
it
Caprice
and.
C
Also
discuss
this
matter
with
the
member
just
last
week,
and
he
raised
this
very
matter.
The
member
will
be
aware
of
investment.
It's
getting
to
the
high
on
Blaine
at
the
present
moment.
What
will
happen
is
a
part
of
the
SPT
are
as
we
move
forward.
It
will
allow
us
to
look
at
what
further
investment
should
be
made
in
the
future,
and
that
will
look
at
how
we
can
improve
resilience
on
the
existing
Lane.
C
G
For
joining
officer,
the
old
adage
says
fix
the
roof,
while
the
sun
is
shining,
but
the
problem
is
since
March,
the
PPM
has
got
worst
in
over
60
stations
in
Scotland,
knowing
the
autumn
wind
as
a
difficult
period
traditionally
for
results
on
train,
punctuality
and
reliability.
How
confidence
the
carbon
secretary
they
were
not
coming
out
of
some
of
our
bad
results
and
come
through,
went
through
even
worse
ones.
Every.
C
Secretary
so
presenting
officer
one
of
the
things
which
m-net
what
real
are
taking
forward
with
in
the
scott
reil
alliance,
is
to
look
at
what
additional
infrastructure
investment
can
be
made
or
not
to
help
tip
through
improved
resilience.
So,
for
example,
they're
putting
some
five
million
pounds
of
additional
infrastructure
investment
into
the
Glasgow
area
in
order
to
help
to
improve
infrastructure
and
the
reliance
they
can
have
upon
that.
C
And
these
areas.
One
of
the
very
specific
issues
which
I
discussed
with
them
with
the
Scot
realized,
was
additional
measures
are
putting
in
place.
This
autumn,
and
as
winter
compared
to
last
year,
so
one
of
the
things
that
they're
doing
is
Norway
carrying
out
some
of
this
additional
work,
but
have
also
brought
in
some
additional
machinery
to
help
to
provide
greater
resilience
within
the
network
as
well.
So
they
can
deal
with
issues
as
and
when
they
arise.
C
So
there's
no
doubt
that
will
continue
to
be
challenges
during
the
course
of
the
autumn
and
the
winter
with
an
vo
Network.
But
what
they
have
assured
me
off
is
that
they
have
learned
some
of
the
lessons
from
last
year
and
from
previous
years,
made
additional
investments
to
try
to
help
to
address
some
of
these
issues,
to
help
to
support
them
through
this
autumn
and
this
winter
and
I
hope
that
will
produce
better
results
going
forward.
A
H
Relation
to
the
question
is
just
going
understandably,
you're
looking
for
brevity,
an
answer
from
the
ministers,
but
it
did
strike
me
I
hope
it's
possible
for
a
minister,
or
indeed
yourself
to
anticipate
question-it
was
coming
later,
so
that
the
minister
was
not
able
to
fully
give
the
answer.
How
you
did
the
minister
able
to
anticipate
what
questions
come
and
after
to
be
able
to
follow
up
on
that
way?
Well,.
A
Me
mr.
Prabha
has
been
in
the
chamber
long
enough
to
know
the
answer
to
that
and
that's
his
brief
questions
from
the
members
I
think
mr.
Lyall
nike's
asked
the
three
questions
of
the
minister.
The
minister
answered
the
first
one.
It
were
real,
wasn't
able
to
get
through
all
the
PPM's,
but
the
minister's
got
plenty
of
opportunity
to
give
that
information
and
answered
four
other
questions,
which
I
think
is
a
lot
on
this
particular
issue,
and
we
are
running
out
of
time
now.
So
moving
on
to
question
number
two
and
asks
our
Thank.
I
J
Juvies
budget
Scotland,
as
with
the
rest
of
the
UK,
were
advised
on
vaccination
policy
by
the
Independent
Expert
Joint
Committee
on
vaccination
and
immunisation,
GCV
I,
GCV
I,
recommend
that
recommends
which
vaccine
program
programs
should
be
offered
eligibility
criteria
and
the
kind
of
vaccine
that
should
be
used
in
the
program
in
November
2017.
Following
a
review
of
the
season
of
flu
vaccine
JCV
advised
the
use
of
adjuvanted
trivalent
flu
vaccine
eight
of
those
aged
over
65.
J
J
Answer
and
to
continue
is
important
because
it's
important
our
flu
vaccination
program
gets
underway
next
week
and
it's
really
important
that
people
understand
that
the
vaccines
are
being
offered
offer
them.
The
best
possible
protection
I
will
encourage
anybody
who
is
requiring
vaccination
is
in
one
of
the
grips
to
go
and
get
that
and
the
NSS
undertakes
the
seasonal
flu
vaccine
procurement
on
behalf
of
NHS
Scotland
and
each
year
to
ensure
we
can
acquire
the
volume
of
flu
vaccines
required
for
each
season.
They
began
procurement
early
autumn
for
the
next
few
season.
J
The
new
eight
of
vaccine
is
currently
manufactured
by
only
one
supplier
who
has
significantly
had
to
ramp
up
their
production
for
the
whole
of
UK
very
quickly,
and
unfortunately,
they
were
unable
to
guarantee
NHS
Scotland
sufficient
supply
of
the
eight
a
vaccine
for
everyone
over
65
this
year
in
time
for
the
start
of
this
year's
vaccination
programme.
So
we
did
what
was
obviously
provided
the
most
security
to
ensure
we
had
the
vaccine
e,
a
vaccination
problem
program
for
the
whole
Scotland
and.
I
The
minister
would
be
aware
that
across
England
and
Wales,
all
individuals
aged
or
65
and
over
are
to
be
offered
and
are
recommended
to
accept
the
enhanced
through
vaccination
as
standard
potentially
in
the
tens
of
thousands
of
fewer
GP
appointments
and
hospital
stays
and
hundreds
of
fewer
deaths.
Candy
a
cabinet
secretary
explain
why
this
life-saving
flu
vaccination
is
only
available
to
all
over
75
in
Scotland.
J
So
and
procurement
arrangements
def
for
across
the
UK
and
for
the
seasonal
flu
vaccination
program.
Whilst
we
procure
the
seasonal
flu
vaccine
centrally
in
England
and
Wales
that
stopped
to
individual
GPS
to
decide
what
vaccines
should
be
ordered
for
their
patients
in
the
past,
this
has
led
to
vaccine
shortages
and
concerns
over
variations
in
access
to
the
right
flu
vaccine,
and
these
are
problems
that
we
don't
face
here
in
Scotland,
while
mr.
ozawa
is
correct
to
some
extent,
the
other
parts
of
the
UK
have
recommended
that
GPS
provide
this
vaccine.
J
It's
clearly
up
to
the
GPS
which
order,
which
M
vaccines
the
order
and
is
not
clear
that,
given
the
vaccine
supply
weather
GPS
across
the
rest
of
the
UK
will
be
able
to
buy
enough
vaccine
to
do
so.
So
after
seeking
an
expert
advice,
it
was
clear
that
the
safer
approach
for
us
to
take
and
would
be
to
rely
the
new
vaccine
during
2018
and
2019
that
guarantees
a
supply
of
the
view.
Flu
vaccine
for
everyone
eligible
no.
I
Sarah,
the
fact
is
in
the
rest
of
the
UK,
the
over
65s
are
being
offered
and
recommended
to
accept
the
enhanced
flu
vaccination
and
Scotland.
It's
all
the
over
75
s.
That
is
factually
the
case
now.
The
reason
why
this
is
so
concerning
is
that
last
year,
in
Scotland,
the
number
of
flu
deaths
rose
from
71
in
1617
to
over
330
and
1718.
As
a
result,
the
first
most
are
rightly
ordered
an
urgent
investigation
into
the
matter
to
learn
lessons
for
this
year.
J
All
first
of
all,
just
to
clarify
that
we
take
an
advice
from
the
experts
in
terms
of
the
best
way
to
approach.
Yes,
if
I
can
go
back
to
what
I
gave
the
answer
I
gave.
Mr.
ozawa
today
has
previous
question.
Well
in
other
parts
of
the
UK,
there
is
a
recommendation
that
GPS
provide
that
vaccine
is
not
centrally
procured.
So
it
is
not
clear.
It
is
not
clear
that
across
the
UK
and
other
parts
of
the
UK,
that
vaccine
will
be
available
to
all
over
75
year
olds,
never
mind
over
65
year
olds.
K
J
And,
unlike
in
angular,
we've
extended
this
to
cover
all
schoolchildren
and
through
which,
in
addition
to
providing
schoolchildren
with
the
protection
from
the
food
for
themselves,
also
offers
health
immunity.
So
as
well
as
helping
themselves
will
be
offering
protection
to
their
grandparents
and
not
something.
We
are.
It's
really
important,
a
big
step
ahead
of
the
rest
of
the
UK.
Thank.
A
You
thank
you
to
ministers
and
members
and
we're
gonna
move
on
now
to
the
next
item
of
business,
which
is
a
statement
by
clear
hockey
on
the
mental
health
strategy.
2018
annual
report,
the
minister
will
of
course,
as
usual,
take
questions
at
the
end
of
a
statement.
I
would
urge
all
members
who
wish
to
ask
the
minister
a
question
to
press
their
requests
here,
requests
to
speak
buttons
as
soon
as
possible.