Parliamentary questions
Paul Sweeney
1,340 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which countries Police Scotland has international training partnerships with at the Scottish Police College.
Answer · Angela Constance: While the work of Police Scotland’s International Academy is a matter for the service, Police Scotland has a proven track record in working with other countries. In terms of training partnerships, these are in place for the work undertaken in Malawi and…
3 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the BP & EnBW enabling (a) crew transfer vessel and (b) service operation vessel fabrication project in the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council Strategic Investment Model.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: These projects have been classed as referral projects in the Strategic Investment Model process and have been referred to their local enterprise agency to continue discussions on ways in which the projects can be supported. Full details about the route forwar…
3 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with American Axle & Manufacturing, in light of the planned closure of its Glasgow manufacturing site, formerly Albion Automotive, on 4 October 2024, with the reported loss of 100 jobs.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government was disappointed to hear of the decision to close the Albion Automotive site in Glasgow. This has obviously been a very worrying time for the workforce, their families and the local area.Scottish Enterprise worked closely with the comp…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its submission to the Strategic Defence Review.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government welcomes the opportunity we have been given to contribute to the ongoing Strategic Defence Review. Whilst Defence is a reserved matter, the decisions made within it can have far reaching implications for our Armed Forces community in S…
2 Oct 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the off-peak 15-minute express rail service frequency between Glasgow Queen Street's high level terminus and Edinburgh Waverley will be restored.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst services on the main Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High route ran every 15 minutes prior to the Covid pandemic, ScotRail reported an underutilisation of resources, which was addressed with ScotRail’s ‘Fit for Future’ timetable re-s…
27 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the new overbridge at Westerton Lane will have a sufficient span for any future dual tracking of the East Kilbride line south of Busby.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I can confirm that the new overbridge at Westerton Lane has been designed to include passive provision for any potential future double tracking of the East Kilbride line.
25 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to update the current allowance system for adoptive parents and families in order to improve consistency across local authorities, including through the potential introduction of a national set rate, as is the case with the Scottish Recommended Allowance pay…
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: We are not currently considering the introduction of a national set rate for adoption allowances. A National Review of Care Allowances was published in 2018 which highlighted that each local authority is able to develop their own adoption allowance scheme wit…
25 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to improving financial support for adoptive parents and families.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that adoptive families receive the support they need, when and where they need it throughout life. Despite the challenging fiscal environment, we are providing over £770,000 to organisations delivering se…
25 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to (a) improve the consistency of data on the (i) number and (ii) outcomes of adoption placements across local authorities and (b) start monitoring any new data in relation to adoption placements to improve the understanding of adoption in Scotland.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The National Records of Scotland, a non-Ministerial office of the Scottish Administration, publishes data tables annually, including in relation to the number of adoptions per year in Scotland.In addition, the Care Inspectorate publishes an annual fostering a…
25 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009, and what conclusion any such review reached regarding the efficacy of the regulations in providing proportionate and equitable support for adoptive families.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: A National Review of Care Allowances was published in 2018 which highlighted that each local authority is able to develop their own adoption allowance scheme within the parameters of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (‘the 2007 Act’). …
25 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009 during the current parliamentary session.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government has no plans to undertake a review of The Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009, however we continue to keep adoption policy and practice under review. This is in close collaboration with stakeholders, as…
19 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expedite the delivery of the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Pathway, in light of it having been two years since publication and the reported delay in implementation having been cited as a concern in the Scottish Veterans Commissioner progress reports in both 2023 a…
Answer · Paul McLennan: The report from the Scottish Veterans Commissioner recognised the progress made in bringing forward the homelessness prevention provisions within the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which builds on the existing strong rights for people who are homeless, including ve…
19 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Veterans Commissioner's 2024 annual progress report.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the Scottish Veterans Commissioner’s 2024 Annual Report and the independent scrutiny it offers to both Government and its partners in delivering against the Commissioner’s recommendations.I was p…
19 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to deliver the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Pathway, in light of the reported delay in implementation being cited as a concern in the Scottish Veterans Commissioner's 2024 progress report, and whether its delivery is expected to be further delayed followi…
Answer · Maree Todd: The Veterans Mental Health Advisory Group has been established to oversee the development of the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing pathway and the implementation of the principles laid out in the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan. The Adviso…
19 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many dental practices there are in total in Scotland, and how many have received financial support through the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in each of the last five financial years.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This information is not held centrally. Public Health Scotland publish information on the number of Dental Practices in Scotland and this can be found at:Dental Practices and Patient Registrations - Datasets - Scottish Health and Social Care Open Data (nhs.sc…
19 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last assessed the eligibility criteria for dental practices to access Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants, and what its position is on whether the eligibility criteria are proportionate to meet the needs of dental practices providing NHS care in remote and rural areas.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30050 on 1 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committee…
19 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with dental practices in remote and rural areas to understand and respond to the reported challenges that they face, such as recruitment and retention.
Answer · Jenni Minto: As the Health Board makes the arrangements with independent dental contractors and bodies corporate, it is for the Board to have direct discussions with the rural practices.Each NHS Board has a Director of Dentistry. Officials meet all NHS Boards regularly to…
19 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the impact of Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants, and what its position is on whether the funding is supporting NHS dentistry in remote and rural areas.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) grants are Health Board led and are subject to continuous review.The purpose of SDAI grants is to provide targeted additional funding to those areas in Scotland where there is clear evidence of unmet need in NHS dental…
19 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with NHS Tayside regarding access to Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants in Brechin and Montrose, and whether there are plans to review the allowance in this part of Scotland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Officials meet NHS Boards regularly to discuss local issues, potential solutions and manage risk, which the Director of Dentistry attends. This includes Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) provision in the Tayside area.The Chief Dental Officer wrote to H…
15 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ban the installation of uPVC windows in conservation areas.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has no plans to ban the installation of uPVC windows in conservation areas.Following extensive consultation, and taking account of the need to address the cost and climate crises, new permitted development rights (PDR) were introduced …
12 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported claim by Alexander Dennis Limited that zero-emission bus funding has disproportionately benefitted competitors from lower-cost and lower-security economies, citing this as the reason for it starting a consultation regarding a potential 160 redundancies at the bu…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The aim of the most recent phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2) is to support the implementation of new, innovative business models into Scotland's bus market, so that zero-emission buses become the default choice for operators, …
10 Sep 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to enhance protection of the nation's built heritage and listed buildings.
10 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many fire incidents in listed buildings the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has attended in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: This information is not collected or held by the Scottish Government.
10 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to act upon the reported recommendations made in the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination report, following the combined 24th and 26th periodic reports of the UK and Northern Ireland, including that the (a) Scottish Government engage with stakeholders and…
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring our work is informed by the experiences of people and communities that are affected by racism, hatred and prejudice.The Scottish Government’s Hate Crime Strategy, and its associated Delivery Plan launched…
10 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination report, following the combined 24th and 26th periodic reports of the UK and Northern Ireland, which reportedly notes concern about "reports of racist incidents and ethnic and religious prejudice a…
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government is absolutely clear that there is no place for hatred and prejudice in Scotland. We work cooperatively with a range of organisations throughout the country to tackle all forms of hatred and prejudice, including Irish community organisa…
9 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason ethical commissioning no longer features in the marked-up version of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill that it published on 25 June 2024.
Answer · Maree Todd: Ethical commissioning was defined in the Bill, as introduced, as making arrangements for services in ways which were consistent with the NCS Principles. As a consequence of the agreement reached on shared accountability for the NCS these specific provisions w…
4 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with people living with vaccine injury, and whether it will consider meeting with representatives of such people in the coming months.
Answer · Jenni Minto: It is important to acknowledge that vaccines are medicines and like all medicines they can have side effects and, on rare occasions, cause injury. Thankfully, most side effects are mild and short lived, but the Scottish Government recognises that some are not…
4 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the new fleet of Intercity trains currently being procured for the rail network is manufactured in Scotland to support the creation of high-skilled apprenticeships and jobs, and to ensure that Scotland has a rolling stock manufacturing facility to support any …
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
4 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether Glasgow Science Centre Limited has plans to remove the Millennium Bridge over the River Clyde at Pacific Quay, due to the reported failure of its double bascule opening mechanism.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government does not hold any information regarding plans to remove the Millenium Bridge. Any decision on the future of the bridge would be an operational matter for Glasgow City Council.
3 Sep 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with trade unions and train operators with experience and knowledge of other intercity rail fleets within the UK, to learn from their best practices when specifying key aspects of the commercial tender to procure a new fleet of trains for ScotRail's Intercity rail …
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…