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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-28698

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce an HGV overtaking ban on the dual carriageway sections of the M8 to reduce congestion.

Question reference: S6W-28695

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will recapitalise the Scottish Growth Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-28696

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with the Ministry of Defence to explore greater collaboration with NHS Scotland to improve the provision of dental services to armed forces personnel based in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-28547

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its timetable for bringing the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 fully into force, and by what date it will lay the regulations required under the Act that will (a) require local transport authorities to provide people who are planning journeys with greater levels of, and improved information about, bus services in their area, (b) set out the process for the formation and operation of a panel to assess franchising proposals and (c) introduce ticketing arrangements and schemes that amend the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 Act.

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is a multi-topic Act with an extensive number of statutory instruments needed to implement the various parts. Given the scale of this piece of legislation we have taken a measured and considered approach in implementing the Act.

Large sections of the Act have been fully implemented including workplace parking, low emission zones, and parking prohibitions. Significant progress is being made in relation to the remaining areas including bus services (with franchising and partnership powers commenced in December 2023), and ticketing arrangements and schemes.

In relation to your specific questions:

1. We are exploring opportunities to enhance open data so more public transport information is available to users and third parties. Legislation is not the sole route, our Bus Open Data provisions in the Transport (Scotland) Act are high level to allow us to work through what can be done without legislation; recognising technology advancements and operators’ positive participation already through services such as Traveline Scotland. However we are actively considering secondary legislation requirements in light of Department for Transport advances and our current data provision services in Scotland and will seek further feedback from local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships.

2. We will be laying regulations before the end of 2024 on the appointment, removal and replacement of panel members; the remuneration of panel members; and the process to be followed by the panel in making decisions.

3. The National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB), established in 2023, will advise on national ticketing standards, as well as delivery of measures from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. Timescales and costs of delivering a national integrated ticketing system will be supported by the advice of NSTAB.

Question reference: S6W-28661

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 16 July 2024, Building a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine, whether it will provide a breakdown of the capital equipment and resources that will be purchased using the £14.2 million investment in the shipyard.

Question reference: S6W-28625

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Scottish National Investment Bank develop products to address any gap in private finance available in Scotland, to support a “globally successful, innovative and sustainable shipbuilding industry, particularly focussing on the construction of high value, low carbon, complex vessels”, in light of the UK Government’s refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy, which was published in March 2022.

Question reference: S6W-28623

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has divided the Small Vessel Replacement Programme into phases, and what its position is on whether a series production approach for all vessels in the programme would (a) enable the maximisation of any learning curve efficiencies and (b) incentivise capital investment in shipyard productivity.

Question reference: S6W-28622

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement on 16 July 2024 regarding Phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, whether it will apply a social value weighting to the procurement procedure that is sufficient to ensure that the construction of the vessels is carried out in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-28590

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many birds have been trapped and have died in bird-dissuading mesh being used in Scotland in the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-28626

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the UK Government to ensure that the Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme (SCGS) can be fully utilised during Phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, to promote shipbuilding in Scotland.