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-44268

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Print Scotland reportedly stating that Scotland "risks a skills cliff edge" due to the funding disparities in training contributions between Scotland and England.

I am aware of Print Scotland’s concerns over the funding differences in training contributions between England and Scotland. Print Scotland have written to Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and will meet to discuss this further.

Apprenticeship funding in Scotland follows a contribution model that differs from England, alongside often differing training and assessment requirements, so cannot be directly compared.

We have committed to reviewing apprenticeship contribution rates and published the scope of this review on Friday 13 March as part of wider work on Modern Apprenticeship (MA) reform. The scope and terms of reference can be found here: Modern apprenticeship contribution rates review: terms of reference - gov.scot

The review will be in two stages. The first stage has already started and this will include working with our delivery partners to gather the necessary evidence. We expect the second stage of this review to be undertaken from February 2027 and we intend to publish a report following the outcome of the review.

Question reference: S6W-44269

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to encourage more apprentices into the print industry.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) provide an all-age career service in every local authority, with SDS Careers Advisers in secondary schools and SDS centres and community locations nationwide. Careers advisers highlight the career options available across all sectors - including the Print industry - to people across Scotland, including Apprenticeships.

SDS also works with partners and employers to highlight the importance of Apprenticeships particularly through Scottish Apprenticeship Week which took place in 02 – 06 March 2026. We continue to work closely with SDS to support the promotion of Apprenticeships throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-44276

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to support lung health in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people with respiratory conditions receive the best possible care and treatment to enable them to live longer, healthier, and more independent lives. Through our Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, we have supported national work to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, care and support for people living with respiratory conditions.

The Scottish Government has embedded the prevention of respiratory disease into wider policy through the launch of the Cleaner Air for Scotland Strategy, Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme and the refreshed Tobacco Action Plan.

National clinical pathways for severe asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease are being developed through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery. This work includes enhanced referral triage and innovations in the diagnosis and management of sleep apnoea, helping to ensure that people receive the right care at the right time.

We also published the Quality Prescribing Guide for Improvement, which aims to keep people at the centre of their treatment, and promote safe, evidenced based, sustainable prescribing. A core component of this has been to create user friendly digital tools for both people living with lung conditions and healthcare professionals

To improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation, a key intervention for people with chronic respiratory conditions, we are working in partnership with Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to develop a digital first model. This will provide self-management tools, resources and videos that can be accessed anywhere in Scotland and will be hosted on the My Lungs My Life platform.

We recently published the Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework in which we outline our shared, long-term vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable.

We are exploring a Long-Term Conditions Framework to ensure equitable and sustainable access to services that everyone with long term conditions needs, such as those living with a respiratory condition. A series of advisory groups, including respiratory, will be established to make initial recommendations to the Scottish Government and these will produce an authoritative set of recommendations to inform the new government’s work on long-term conditions.

We will continue to work with clinicians, NHS, Boards, and national delivery partners and the third sector to ensure that people with lung conditions can access timely diagnosis, effective treatment and ongoing support as part of safe, high quality respiratory care.

Question reference: S6W-44274

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the mechanism that will be used to allocate funding to regional transport partnerships to support the implementation of bus franchising.

I am pleased that we will invest £4 million in 2026-27 to support Local Transport Authorities to build business cases for local bus improvements through franchising, using powers created in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Work to develop appropriate governance arrangements and the detail of administering the fund is at an early stage. This will be considered with key stakeholders, including COSLA and Local Transport Authorities.

Question reference: S6W-44116

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) engagement it has carried out and (b) incentives it has provided to bus operators to procure Scottish-manufactured buses under Phase 3 of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB).

The Scottish Government announced its intention to launch ScotZEB on 17 November 2025 with the scheme opening to bids on 5 December 2025. Officials met with interested stakeholders on request, and responded to all queries regarding eligibility, scheme guidance and technical requirements, both directly and through the scheme administrator, the Energy Saving Trust. The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) was also notified at the point of scheme launch.

ScotZEB operates as a capital grant subsidy scheme and must comply with the UK subsidy control regime, including the Subsidy Control Act 2022. This legislation expressly prohibits the use of incentives or conditions linked to local content, such as any requirement or preference for Scottish-manufactured vehicles. The Scottish Government cannot encourage, require or financially advantage operators to purchase buses from specific manufacturers. Procurement decisions rest solely with operators, in line with their own commercial and legal obligations.

Question reference: S6W-44117

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Procurement Act 2023 allowing contracting authorities to disregard bids from non-treaty state suppliers with which the UK does not have a trade agreement, such as China, what options this legislative provision provides for purchasers of buses under Phase 3 of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB).

ScotZEB3 is a capital grant subsidy scheme rather than a procurement exercise. As such, the Procurement Act 2023 does not apply. The Scottish Government does not directly procure buses; vehicle procurement is carried out by bus operators.

Awards made under ScotZEB3 must comply with the UK subsidy control regime, including the Subsidy Control Act 2022. This requires the scheme to operate in a non-discriminatory manner and in accordance with the subsidy control principles. Grant recipients are responsible for running their own competitive processes with suppliers, in line with their own commercial and legal obligations.

Question reference: S6W-44078

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) consultation it has had and (b) support it has provided to Glasgow City Council to develop, agree and implement a new pay and grading structure, based on the results of job evaluation, to replace the current Workforce Pay and Benefits Review scheme.

The Scottish Government respects the independence of Local Government and the position of each council, including Glasgow City Council, as an independent employer with responsibility for their own budgets, workforce planning and job evaluation processes. The Scottish Government has no formal role in these issues at a local level and encourages all councils to make decisions, through engagement with trade unions, that meet their responsibility to secure value for money and meet their legal obligations to their employees.

Question reference: S6W-44399

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of current trends, when it anticipates that the target for 95% of people referred to radiology services to be seen within six weeks will be reached.

Question reference: S6W-44398

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has undertaken of any impact of clinical radiologist staffing levels on the timely reporting of CT and MRI scans.

Question reference: S6W-44397

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the cost to NHS boards of outsourcing (a) radiology image acquisition and (b) radiology reporting, in each of the last five years.