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-32817

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Network Rail replace the bridge height restriction signage on the railway bridge that carries the Glasgow–Edinburgh via Falkirk line over Hawthorn Street in Glasgow, in light of reports that the westbound sign is damaged and the eastbound sign is missing.

Question reference: S6W-32914

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the availability of (a) the drug, naloxegol, and (b) alternatives to this drug in the event of a shortage.

The supply of medicines is currently a reserved matter for the UK Government. We continue to engage with the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care on all medicines supply issues. The NHS in Scotland has robust processes in place to manage supply issues when they do arise and normally there are alternative products which can be prescribed and dispensed.

The Scottish Government is aware that, since April 2024, there has been ongoing supply issues with the availability of naloxegol (Moventig®) tablets. Initially both strengths (12.5mg and 25mg) were impacted by this supply issue. The latest information provided by the Department of Health and Social Care indicates that supplies of naloxegol (Moventig®) 25mg strength are back in stock however supply issues remain for the 12.5mg strength and that this supply issue is expected to continue until May 2025. The Scottish Government issued advice to NHS Scotland in April 2024 on this supply issue and available alternatives.

Question reference: S6W-32915

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) NHS National Services Scotland and (b) Community Pharmacy Scotland regarding the availability of the drug, naloxegol.

The Scottish Government is aware that, since April 2024, there has been ongoing supply issues with the availability of naloxegol (Moventig®) tablets. On 25 April 2024, the Scottish Government issued a Medicines Supply Alert Notice to NHS Scotland on the availability of naloxegol (Moventig®) tablets. Medicines Supply Alert Notices are circulated to Medical Directors and Directors of Pharmacy across all Health Boards including national Health Boards (such as NHS National Services Scotland) for onward dissemination to healthcare professionals. Community Pharmacy Scotland also receive a copy of the Medicines Supply Alert Notices for onward dissemination across their network.

Question reference: S6W-32815

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its lease of 5 Atlantic Quay at 150 Broomielaw after its owner, Singapore-based Elite Partners Capital’s UK Commercial Fund III, reportedly instructed JLL to seek offers over £20 million for the building in April 2024, and whether it has assessed the potential cost and benefit of making an offer to purchase the building to establish a freehold instead of a leasehold on the property.

In line with Ministerial priorities in the current challenging fiscal context, officials are always considering options and opportunities for Scottish Government's estate that make the best possible use of our existing assets and deliver value for money. The Scottish Minister’s leasehold interest at 5 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow is being considered as part of that strategic estate work. We cannot comment further at this time due to the commercial sensitivities involved.

Question reference: S6W-32822

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Ferguson Marine is prepared to bid to build two floating docks for the Royal Navy under the Additional Fleet Time Docking Capability (AFTDC) project, which aims to acquire two floating dry docks and associated infrastructure for submarine maintenance at HMNB Clyde (Faslane).

Question reference: S6O-04227

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to dedicating 10% of frontline NHS spend to mental health and 1% to CAMHS.

Question reference: S6W-32825

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in Glasgow that have experienced an overflow event in the last six months are not planned investment priorities.

Combined sewer overflows are an essential part of the sewer system, protecting properties from flooding at times of intense rainfall by allowing highly diluted wastewater to spill to the water environment. CSOs must be licensed by SEPA, and any unsatisfactory discharges will be identified so that Scottish Water can invest to reduce the environmental impact.

Scottish Water has already published a list of high priority CSOs to be upgraded at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/ScottishWater/Document-Hub/Key-Publications/Improving-Urban-Waters/150823HighPriorityUIDs.pdf. The prioritisation of future upgrades is under consideration as part of the preparations for the next investment period 2027-33. Ministers commissioned the Strategic Review of Charges process in April 2024 by writing to the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (https://wics.scot/system/files/2024-06/2027-33%20Commissioning%20Letter.pdf).

Scottish Water’s methodology towards prioritisation of investment is available at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflows/Prioritisation-of-Sewer-Overflows-in-Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-32876

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding access to urology services over the 2024-25 Christmas and New Year period, and what the outcome of these discussions was.

The Scottish Government and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) meet regularly with all Health Boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to discuss the performance and delivery of all planned care specialities including urology.

We have developed our winter plan with input from the whole Health and Social Care system which brings together best practice and improvement work which we know works from lessons learned in previous winters, to ensure that the most appropriate care is received in the right place and at the right time.

Question reference: S6W-32824

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) combined sewer overflows (CSOs), (b) settled storm sewage overflows (SSSOs) and (c) emergency overflows (EOs) in Glasgow are currently monitored for overflow events, and what percentage this is of the total number.

As published by Scottish Water on its website at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflows/Prioritisation-of-Sewer-Overflows-in-Scotland, there are some 4,080 CSOs on its network.

Scottish Water publishes data on all monitored overflows on its website, and recently launched an overflow map at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflows/Live-Overflow-Map. The overflow map lists the number of monitored overflows by local authority.

More detailed information is available from Scottish Water upon request.

Question reference: S6W-32823

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds time series data on the annual number of households and dwellings in Glasgow from the start of the 20th century to date.

I have asked Alison Byrne, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Annual estimates of households and dwellings by local authority area are published by the National Records of Scotland. The statistics on households are available for each year back to 1991 for households and to 2001 for dwellings. The household and dwelling estimates for 2001 to 2023 are available in Tables 1 and 2 respectively in the Data file for Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2023. Household estimates for 1991 to 2000 are available in Table 1 of Household Estimates for Scotland 2006. Statistics on the number of households and dwellings in different areas are available in the reports of the 1901 and subsequent decennial censuses