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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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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Session 6: 13 May 2021 to 8 April 2026
  7. Current session: 14 May 2026 to 3 September 2026
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Question type

Displaying 1409 questions Show Answers

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Question reference: S7W-02502

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding any impact on Scotland, on the statement by the Director General for Rail Services at the UK Department for Transport, Alex Hynes, to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee that “by having bi-mode trains you inadvertently weaken the business case for further electrification”.

Question reference: S7W-02487

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 to grant permitted development rights for shopfront alterations that strictly comply with a local authority’s formally adopted heritage design code.

Question reference: S7W-02493

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Historic Environment Scotland regarding the creation of a targeted, fast-track grant stream exclusively for small business owners seeking to restore original architectural details to listed or conservation area commercial properties.

Question reference: S7W-02488

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to integrate the material and architectural standards developed under the Traditional Shopfront Improvement Grant Scheme (TSIG) into the statutory guidance supporting National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).

Question reference: S7W-02500

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the potential use of floating or submerged inshore data centres and, if so, what assessment it has made of their potential to reduce renewable energy constraint costs, utilise seawater cooling, and provide a source of heat for district heating networks.

Question reference: S7W-02497

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to issue stronger guidance to local planning authorities regarding the determination of retrospective planning applications for unauthorised alterations to shopfronts on listed buildings or within conservation areas, to discourage developers from undertaking unauthorised works in anticipation of retrospective planning permission being granted.

Question reference: S7W-02490

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities on the adoption of street-specific, visual design codes within Local Development Plans to remove ambiguity for property owners regarding acceptable restorations.

Question reference: S7W-02501

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to whether the electricity requirements associated with data centre development could improve the economic viability of constructing small modular reactors.

Question reference: S7W-02499

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what dedicated financial and technical support it is currently providing to regional transport partnerships, including the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), to assist in the development of bus service franchising business cases under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Question reference: S7W-02486

  • Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
  • Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the membership is of the partnership group for the Glasgow People’s Palace and Winter Gardens restoration project.