Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-42750

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake an analysis of the operation of the thrice-weekly rail link between the Port of Liverpool and the Mossend EuroTerminal in North Lanarkshire since it was established in 2018, regarding what effect it has had on displacing container shipping volumes from the Port of Greenock on the River Clyde, which reportedly has the capacity to handle a throughput of 100,000 TEU per year.

Question reference: S6W-42492

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 December 2025, what information it holds on whether any public bodies receive reports from Peel Ports and The King's Harbour Master regarding the monitoring of container traffic on the River Clyde.

Question reference: S6W-42844

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the overbridge that carried Gourlay Street over the railway at Cowlairs in Glasgow was removed without replacement in 2016 as part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) electrification works, and whether it will instruct Network Rail Scotland to commission a replacement footbridge to reconnect Gourlay Street.

Question reference: S6W-42554

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of potential liabilities for site remediation at Grangemouth Refinery.

Question reference: S6W-42555

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the state purchasing land and property at Grangemouth Refinery, to facilitate and control new industrial development.

Question reference: S6W-42584

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 6 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with delivery partners on implementing action 3.4 of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan 2024-2026 on promoting better understanding of qualification recognition pathways.

Scottish Government recognise the unique challenges New Scots face, including the recognition of overseas qualifications. This is a known barrier to employment.

Through the New Scots strategy, a strategy involving wider partners including those involved in employability support, a number of partners including third sector and local authorities are working with New Scots to support the recognition of their qualifications.

Question reference: S6W-42801

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has taken place with the development of a Product Stewardship Plan, as set out in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030.

Question reference: S6W-42800

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what options have been developed with stakeholders regarding the mandatory reporting for food waste and surplus by businesses.

Question reference: S6W-42794

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will initiate discussions with Glasgow City Council on jointly acquiring the site of the former ABC venue on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow to facilitate the implementation of the Vision and Delivery Plan for the Golden Z prepared by Stantec, Threesixty Architecture and Kevin Murray Associates, which was approved by Glasgow City Council in August 2023 and proposes that the fire-damaged buildings on the site be cleared for a landscaped terrace, in light of reported concerns that the current planned redevelopment risks undermining the efforts to fully restore the Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh Building.

Question reference: S6W-42791

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether any procurement procedure for the design and build of a new class of marine protection vessel (MPV) and marine research vessel (MRV) to replace the two existing vessels, MPV Minna and MRV Scotia, will be directly awarded to a UK-based shipbuilding firm, or limited to a UK-only competition, in light of the national security role that these vessels play and such a decision being compliant with the exemption under section 45 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022.