Paul Sweeney

3 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many Petroineos workers who were made redundant as a result of the closure of the Grangemouth refinery have, to date, subsequently been offered new employment by Ineos and other firms operating within the Grangemouth petrochemical industrial cluster.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is working with Forth Valley College, UK Government, Skills Development Scotland and Petroineos to track workers affected by the closure of the Grangemouth refinery as part of our jointly funded Refinery Skills Intervention which is cu…

1 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce an equivalent to the UK Government's Procurement Policy Note 002: The Social Value Model in Scotland.

Answer · Ivan McKee: the Scottish Government is updating guidance on Employment, Skills and Training within the Sustainable Procurement Tools, there are no current plans to issue a new Policy Note on social impact.Scotland has been delivering social value through procurement for …

1 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the contractual commitment of around £70 million that is reportedly still outstanding on the Glasgow Subway modernisation project is fully funded so that the key milestone of achieving unattended train operation by the third quarter of 2026 is achieved.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government recognises the crucial role that the Subway plays in Glasgow’s transport system and the importance of the modernisation programme.By the end of 2024-25 it had contributed £199.9 million to this vital project. With a further…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water owns the Glasgow Harbour Tunnel, or only the water main pipe within the tunnel.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The ownership status of assets is an operational matter for Scottish Water. Scottish Water have advised that they are carrying out investigations to establish the ownership status of Glasgow Harbour Tunnel and will write to you directly with a response once t…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that 9,515 tonnes in 2024 was the lowest volume of freight handled at Glasgow Prestwick Airport since 1997, what action it is taking to promote the growth of air freight traffic at the airport.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Glasgow Prestwick Airport operates on a commercial basis and at arm's length from Scottish Ministers. The airport's management have been working hard to develop new commercial opportunities, which is evidenced by the launch of scheduled freight services betwe…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission a new design options appraisalfor the cancelled Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (EARL) project as a means ofproviding a direct heavy rail connection between Edinburgh Airport and GlasgowQueen Street Station.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government currently has no plans to investigate a new rail link connecting Edinburgh airport to the current Edinburgh to Glasgow rail line.The second Strategic Transport Projects Review, published in 2022, did consider this but did not identify …

30 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussion (a) it and (b)Transport Scotland has had with Glasgow City Council regarding the potential installation of a numberplate recognition camera toll system to charge for daily use of the Clyde Tunnel for vehicles registered outside of the local authority's boundary.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: To date, Transport Scotland has not held specific discussions with Glasgow City Council regarding any potential camera toll system, utilising numberplate recognition technology, to charge for daily use of the Clyde Tunnel.

30 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will facilitate and promote the adoption of the Clyde Tunnel as a regional transport asset by the Glasgow City Region local authorities, and co-funded via Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, or a new special purpose body, to restore the combined regional authority approach …

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This matter is not currently under consideration by the Scottish Government. Any proposal to alter road responsibilities would raise a number of propriety and legal considerations, including the statutory basis for such a change. As the designated roads autho…

30 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland will adopt the Clyde Tunnel as a national trunk road asset, such as the Kingston and Erskine bridges, due to the reported strategic regional nature of the tunnel to the West of Scotland trunk road network and the reported disproportionately higher cost to opera…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: It is the Scottish Government’s assessment that the Clyde Tunnel does not sufficiently meet the criteria to be incorporated into the strategic motorway and trunk road network and is currently appropriately classified in the hierarchy of Scotland’s…

30 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide enhanced funding to Glasgow City Council, in addition to the baseline local authority budget allocation for local road maintenance, to offset the annual cost deficit for managing the Clyde Tunnel, in light of it consuming approximately 10% the local authority's ro…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The 2025-26 budget provided local government in Scotland with record funding of over £15.1 billion, one of the largest increases in funding in recent times and a real terms increase of 5.5 per cent.In 2025-26, Glasgow City Council will receive over &pou…

29 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Scottish Prison Service commission the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, or a similar organisation, to carry out an options appraisal and feasibility study for the adaptive reuse of the historic buildings at HMP Barlinnie when the site is no longer tha…

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is engaging Historic Environment Scotland regarding the future of HMP Barlinnie and whether any part of the buildings at the prison would be considered for listed building status. This is an important part of SPS’ consi…

27 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date all 3,614 combined sewer overflows (CSOs) operated by Scottish Water will be fitted with monitors.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-36643 on 2 May 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-committees/wr…

24 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what protocols and policies it currently has in place to prevent the abandonment and dereliction of state-owned property that is declared surplus, particularly those properties that are designated as listed or otherwise of architectural heritage value.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Public Finance Manual requires public bodies to regularly review their assets. Any assets which are deemed to be surplus should be disposed of as soon as possible and within 3 years, whilst residential property should be disposed of within 6 mont…

22 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many drones are currently in operation with the NHS in Scotland.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.Details on how many drones are in operation in NHS Scotland would require to be requested from NHS Boards.

22 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many trained drone pilots are currently employed by (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Answer · Angela Constance: There are currently 14 trained drone operators in Police Scotland, all of whom are police officers.The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) currently has one qualified drone pilot who holds a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence. While that pilot is full…

22 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many drones are currently in operation with (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Answer · Angela Constance: Police Scotland has 10 drones currently in operation.The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) does not currently operate any drones. However, there is a strategic intent to develop a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capability, which includes unmanned aeria…

14 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the expected timeline is for the conclusion of NatureScot's review of the Scotland's Great Trails brand and purpose.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We expect NatureScot’s work to progress the Scotland’s Great Trails brand to a new model will to be concluded in late 2026.

8 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to retaining the assets of Prestwick Aviation Holdings Ltd under its ownership to ensure long-term public control over the aerospace industrial development zone.

Answer · Kate Forbes: I wrote to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 25 June 2024 to confirm that a market testing exercise for Glasgow Prestwick Airport was underway. Scottish Ministers’ longstanding position is that the airport should be returned to the private sector a…

8 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the buses funded through the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund and Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme were the model, Alexander Dennis (a) Enviro400EV, (b) Enviro200EV, (c) Enviro100EV, (d) Enviro400 MMC and (e) Enviro200 MMC.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: (a) Enviro400EV – (SULEBs) 125, (ScotZEB) 59.(b) Enviro200EV – (SULEBs) 82, (ScotZEB) 74.(c) Enviro100EV – (SULEBs) 0, (ScotZEB) 21.(d) Enviro400MMC – 0.(e) Enviro200MMC – 0.

8 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many buses were ordered under each round of the Scottish Green Bus Fund, broken down by (a) manufacturer and (b) place of manufacture.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Below is a list of how many buses were ordered under each round of the Scottish Green Bus Fund broken down by manufacturer. As previously advised in answers to questions S6W-38725 and S6W-38726 on 3 July 2025, the Scottish Government does not collect data on …

8 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many buses were ordered under each round of the Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS), broken down by (a) manufacturer and (b) place of manufacture.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Below is a list of how many buses were ordered under each round of the Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme broken down by manufacturer. As previously advised in answers to questions S6W-38725 and S6W-38726 on 3 July 2025, the Scottish Government does not collect da…

5 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what the current 10 largest private firms in Glasgow are, broken down by (a) employee headcount and (b) turnover.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government analysts have access to the Office for National Statistics Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR). The IDBR is a database of all businesses registered for Value-Added-Tax (VAT) and/or Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) income tax. The IDBR includ…

5 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-38725 and S6W-38726 by Jim Fairlie on 3 July 2025, in which he stated that “the Scottish Government does not collect data on the locations in which vehicles are manufactured”, how it monitors and assesses the level and impact of social…

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The social value of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund arises in several ways, including through the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the bus sector by accelerating the uptake of zero emission buses and coaches as part of wider activity t…

5 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-38725 and S6W-38726 by Jim Fairlie on 3 July 2025, and regarding the value of subsidies, what the (a) average value per vehicle and (b) total value for each bus manufacturer has been, for each phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Through ScotZEB 1, the average subsidy per vehicle, excluding infrastructure was £176,000. Through ScotZEB 2, the average subsidy per vehicle, excluding infrastructure is £108,000. ScotZEB 2 is still a live project in its delivery phase, and conso…

1 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Democracy Matters steering group last met; what current work it is undertaking, and when it anticipates that the next stage of Democracy Matters will commence.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Democracy Matters steering group last met on 11 June 2025. The steering group is focused on developing the views that communities shared during the Democracy Matters engagement process into practical models for democratic decision-making.The Programme for…

30 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial assessments have been undertaken regarding the proposed merger of NHS Education in Scotland and NHS National Services Scotland, as set out in the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework.

Answer · Neil Gray: Consultation on bringing NHS Education in Scotland and NHS National Services Scotland together will take place over 2025 and work is underway to establish the full range of functions of the new organisation. Financial assessment will be part of this. The aim …

30 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what preliminary scoping exercises have been undertaken regarding the proposed merger of NHS Education in Scotland and NHS National Services Scotland, as set out in the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework.

Answer · Neil Gray: Consultation on bringing NHS Education in Scotland and NHS National Services Scotland together will take place over 2025 and work is underway to establish the full range of functions of the new organisation.The Scottish Government recognise that to meet the a…

29 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many foreign direct investment (FDI) projects have been undertaken in Scotland in the last 10 years, broken down by (a) new investment projects, (b) expansion investment projects, (c) retention investment projects, (d) mergers and acquisitions projects and (e) joint venture…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Responsibility for measuring Scotland’s inward investment performance, which includes planned jobs and supply chain impacts for involved projects, rests with Scottish Enterprise. The independent EY Attractiveness Survey and the UK Government’s Dep…

29 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in Scotland in each of the last 10 years have been mergers and acquisitions of Scottish-headquartered businesses.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government uses a variety of sources to measure Scotland’s inward investment performance, including data from Scottish Enterprise and independent analysis published annually in the EY UK Attractiveness Survey for Scotland. Mergers and Acqui…

26 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Part 5, section 126, subsection (1) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 should be amended in order to insert an exemption to House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) licensing requirements for properties managed by co-operatives, in order to provide housing co-ope…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: I recognise the importance of housing co-operatives and the need to support and encourage them. While we already have powers to make amendments to this section, given the importance of HMO licensing in protecting tenants in Scotland, any decision to make such…