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: S7W-02578

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government from which countries shipbuilding firms have been invited to tender for the detailed design and construction of the new passenger and vehicle ferry to replace MV Lord of the Isles on the Mallaig to Lochboisdale route.

Question reference: S7W-02577

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding the proposed direct award of contracts to Ferguson Marine for the construction of replacement vessels for the research vessel, Scotia, and the fisheries protection vessel, Minna, and two ferries under Phase 2 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, and on what dates these discussions took place.

Question reference: S7W-02486

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 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.

The Partnership Group comprises of representatives from Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life, Historic Environment Scotland, Museums Galleries Scotland, the Scottish Government and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Scottish Enterprise has also participated in the group’s work.

The Partnership Group was established with a specific remit to support the project through strategic coordination among organisations with direct responsibilities for funding, governance and delivery. Accordingly, membership has been limited to organisations with formal responsibilities in these areas.

Additionally a significant amount of community engagement and collaboration on the Peoples Palace Project has taken place, with over 7000 people involved to date. This includes the People’s Palace Community Partners Panel, which was established specifically for the project and includes key local community groups and representation. The aim of the group is to ensure that community voices and views inform all aspects of the project in a meaningful way. The panel has been heavily involved in the design process and has viewed and fed back on architectural designs. They are also informed of plans for future museum displays and interpretation of content and updates on the wider project plan.

Question reference: S7W-03168

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the national literacy strategy to ensure that evidence-based teaching methods, including systematic synthetic phonics (SSP), are embedded as the foundational approach to the teaching of reading in all primary schools.

Question reference: S7W-03171

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the effectiveness of systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) instruction in closing the poverty-related attainment gap in early years literacy.

Question reference: S7W-03172

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) reading programmes currently being utilised in Glasgow primary schools, including at John Paul II Primary School, and whether it plans to evaluate this approach with a view to a potential national roll-out.

Question reference: S7W-03174

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanism is in place for heritage restoration proposals, including the restoration of Holyrood Abbey, to be formally assessed and submitted to the Scotland Legacy Group for consideration.

Question reference: S7W-03170

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specific financial and training resources are available to local authorities to support primary school educators in adopting and delivering systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) as a primary method of reading instruction.

Question reference: S7W-03173

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to commission a feasibility study on the restoration of Holyrood Abbey as a national memorial chapel to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and whether it will submit the findings of any such study to the Scotland Legacy Group to inform its recommendations for a permanent memorial in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03169

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic has had with Education Scotland and local authority directors of education regarding the standardisation and prominence of systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) within the Curriculum for Excellence Early Level Literacy framework.