Parliamentary questions

Paul Sweeney

1,340 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

13 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities for them to encourage walking and wheeling as safe and healthy alternatives to driving.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government’s long-term vision, as set out in the Active Travel Framework, is that by 2030 Scotland’s communities will be shaped around people and place, enabling walking, wheeling, and cycling to be the most popular modes of travel fo…

13 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to ensure that Scotland's pathway networks are accessible and safe.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring Scotland’s pathway networks are accessible and safe by investing in high-quality active travel infrastructure and supporting behaviour change programmes. We are investing £188.7 million in 2025&ndas…

11 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support Glasgow City Council and Glasgow's 59 housing associations to establish a Common Housing Register to improve the efficiency of housing stock allocation in the city.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The responsibility for the management of allocating housing in the social rented sector lies with local authorities and housing associations. It is for them to determine the most effective way to manage allocation policy to balance the housing needs of their …

10 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider including a requirement for bids to include public equity stakes in any future offshore leasing rounds.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39996 on 3 September 2025, that the assessment process for seabed leasing for offshore wind and other marine renewable developments and the criteria that underpins that process, is a matter for Crown Estate Sco…

10 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there should be trade union representation on the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting strong trade unions in Scotland for the benefit of workers and our economy. The STUC is a member of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board, of which the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council is a sub-group. Trade…

10 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out to increase the number of companies that have worker representatives on their company board.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government’s Fair Work Action Plan includes a commitment to working with employers, workers and trade unions to strengthen effective voice, through a range of appropriate channels. Worker representation on company boards could be a potentia…

10 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Crown Estate Scotland regarding the introduction of Fair Work principles to any future offshore leasing rounds.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer to the answer provided to question S6W-39996 on 3 September 2025, that the assessment process for seabed leasing for offshore wind and other marine renewable developments and the criteria that underpins that process, is a matter for Crown Estate Scotl…

6 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to ensure that e-bikes on public roads and footpaths do not exceed the legal limit of 15.5mph.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government is working closely with Police Scotland regarding the antisocial use of vehicles, including e-bikes. Enforcement is, however, a matter for Police Scotland, and Police Scotland regularly keep their approach to the illegal use of e-bikes…

6 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to advise businesses that employ courier staff that any e-bikes being utilised must not be ridden on pedestrian footpaths and pavements.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government works closely with local authorities, Police Scotland, and other stakeholders in this area. Enforcement of traffic laws is, however, a matter for Police Scotland. In 2025-26, Police Scotland is receiving a record £1.64 billion in…

6 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to local authorities to stop e-bikes being ridden on pedestrian-only footpaths and pavements.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: Enforcement of the law in respect of moving e-bikes is a matter for Police Scotland. More generally, under section 1 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004 all local authorities have a statutory responsibility with Police Scotland to develop a st…

2 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how Social Security Scotland is embedding the Armed Forces Covenant throughout its work processes and delivery outcomes.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland is committed to treating all individuals with dignity, fairness, and respect, including veterans and their families. In line with the Armed Forces Covenant, the organisation works to ensure no one from that community faces disadvantag…

2 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the reported benefits of the Community Syringe Redemption Program (CSRP) pilot schemes delivered in New York City and the City of Boston in the US and, if so, whether it will consider promoting similar pilot schemes with local integration joint boards in Scotland.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is aware of the Community Syringe Redemption Program pilot schemes currently delivered in New York City and the City of Boston in the United States. However, while this specific scheme has not been assessed, we will continue to monitor…

30 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have been waiting for an echocardiogram for more than one year, and what support it can provide to them.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Public Health Scotland’s NHS Waiting Times – Diagnostics report holds data on the number of ongoing waits for echocardiograms at the end of each calendar month, including data on ongoing waits of more than 52 weeks. This can be found in the public…

30 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is carrying out with Public Health Scotland to help promote healthy hearts and reduce the risk factors that might lead to cardiovascular disease.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Public Health Scotland are key partners in delivery of our Population Health Framework (PHF). The actions in the PHF – promoting healthy eating, investing in sport and active living, and work to reduce the harms of smoking – are relevant to improv…

30 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is carrying out with NHS Scotland to optimise the use of evidence-supported technology to detect and manage the risk factors associated with heart attacks and strokes.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Our work with NHS Scotland to optimise the use of evidence supported technology to detect and manage the risk factors associated with heart attacks and strokes includes;Investing £1.9 million (2026-28) to support the use of Ambulatory ECG patch monitors…

26 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the opportunity for rail freight diversion from the east and west coast main lines will be a factor in the business case for extending the Borders Railway to Carlisle.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Borders Council is leading on this business case work on behalf of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal Partners. The inception phase has started but the detailed scope has yet to be finalised.In line with the relevant business case and appraisal gu…

25 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission a national shipbuilding strategy to address the reported current structural and competitive barriers to the growth of commercial shipbuilding exports.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government works closely with the UK Government’s National Shipbuilding Office to ensure that the Scottish Shipbuilding industry benefits from the national and international opportunities of its Shipbuilding Strategy. There are no current p…

24 Sep 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the work that Social Security Scotland is engaging in to support veterans in accessing its services.

23 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will disregard bids for the two new freight flex vessels to serve the Aberdeen-Kirkwall/Lerwick route from companies from countries that do not have a free-trade agreement with the UK, in line with the provisions in the Procurement Act 2023 and the Scottish regulations.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: CMAL, as the contracting authority, will consider bids appropriately in accordance with the requirements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

23 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will apply section 45 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 to the procurement of two new freight flex vessels to serve the Aberdeen-Kirkwall/Lerwick route, in light of their reported critical national security role in the maintenance of a lifeline link between the Northern Isles an…

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Ferries, although vital to the islands communities and businesses, do not meet the definitions required to apply Section 45 of the Subsidy Control Act. I would also refer the member to the answer to S6W-40705 on 3 October 2025. All answers to written Parliame…

23 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the procurement process for the two new freight flex vessels to serve the Aberdeen-Kirkwall/Lerwick route has been aligned with the recommendation in the March 2022 publication, National Shipbuilding Strategy - A refreshed strategy for a globally successful, innovative and …

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Community benefits and social value are part of the ground-breaking Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 which the Scottish Parliament passed over a decade ago. That Act requires public bodies to consider how procurement exercises can improve the economic, …

22 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what expressions of interest have been received from UK-based shipbuilding firms for the design and build of the two new freight flex vessels to serve the Aberdeen-Kirkwall/Lerwick route.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: CMAL, as procuring authority, received no submissions from UK based shipyards in response to the Single Procurement Document stage for the two new NIFS freight flex vessels.

22 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason no UK-based shipbuilding firms have reportedly been invited to tender for the two new freight flex vessels for the Northern Isles.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40705 on 3 October 2025. 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 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any recent discussions with the UK Government regarding the potential legalisation of the traditional herbal medicine Ayahuasca for medicinal purposes.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with the UK Government about rescheduling ayahuasca which contains dimethyltryptamine, classified as a class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.