- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 21 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether funds from the £250 million National Mission on Drug Deaths can be made available to third-sector groups and local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) looking to purchase and maintain smart, digital harm-reduction dispensers in urban and rural areas currently lacking fixed-site needle exchanges or overdose prevention centres.
Answer
We remain committed to exploring any evidence-based harm reduction measure which will help us to reduce drug-related harms and save lives. If a local area identified an automated vending machine as a measure which would benefit their area, Scottish Government officials would be happy to work with them on the feasibility and logistics of implementing it.
Services across Scotland have already developed flexible and targeted approaches to supplying Injecting Equipment Provision (IEP) equipment by introducing more mobile and more fluid approaches (such as IEP vans) that actively go out to areas where they know people will use them.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 21 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support a national, public-facing drug-checking network building on multi-agency models piloting in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow that combines rapid test strips with advanced laboratory testing such as mass spectrometry.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently working to support the delivery of a pilot drug checking service in Scotland, with local sites planned in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, supported by a National Testing and Research Laboratory at the University of Dundee. This pilot is intended to: provide evidence into the effectiveness of drug checking services in Scotland; improve understanding of substances circulating in Scotland’s drug supply; and support harm reduction responses to emerging drug threats.
Through our new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan, we have committed to exploring options to expand access to drug checking. This could include alternative models but will be informed by local need and international best practice. Given the urgency of the challenge, following the establishment of the pilot programme we will not delay in exploring how to further expand access to drug checking, working closely with partners and learning from the pilot as it progresses.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 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.
Answer
While the adoption of specific programmes and approaches is a matter for individual local authorities, the Scottish Government welcomes the focus on phonics as part of the steps being taken by Glasgow City Council to improve reading and literacy outcomes for pupils. As per answer to Parliamentary Question S7W-03170 on 21 September 2026, Education Scotland's professional learning resource, Learning to Read in the Early Years (2024) identifies systematic phonics as a critical component of early reading instruction.
A part of its work to review and update the curriculum, Education Scotland oversees a National Literacy Network which includes representatives from Glasgow City Council. In addition, Glasgow City Council is represented within the Curriculum Improvement Cycle Collaboration Group for English and Literacy. Education Scotland will therefore continue to engage with local authority representatives to ensure that evidence on the impact of the programme can be considered and shared more widely.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 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.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no plans to commission a feasibility study around the restoration of Holyrood Abbey as a national memorial chapel.
Holyrood Abbey is a Property-in-Care managed by Historic Environment Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers. The Properties-in-Care are part of the national estate of historic monuments and sites that are cared for to ensure their long-term preservation and deliver public benefit.
Decisions regarding the conservation, maintenance and management of Holyrood Abbey are therefore made by Historic Environment Scotland.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 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.
Answer
I meet regularly with Education Scotland and local authority representatives to discuss a range of education policy and delivery matters.
As per answer to Parliamentary Question S7W-03170 on 21 September 2026 Education Scotland has published strengthened national guidance Learning to Read in the Early Years. That guidance makes it clear that systematic phonics, including synthetic approaches, is an essential and evidence-based method to promote decoding.
In addition, Education Scotland is strengthening the Literacy and English curriculum through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle. This will include a period of engagement and feedback in autumn 2026, providing an opportunity for a wide range of stakeholders to provide comment on that framework.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 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.
Answer
Education Scotland’s professional learning resource, Learning to Read in the Early Years (2024) makes it clear that systematic phonics is a critical component of early reading instruction.
During 2024, 2025 and 2026, Education Scotland delivered 25 professional learning events to support research-informed early reading pedagogy and practitioner enquiry, engaging 785 practitioners. This included year-long professional learning programmes which, including the 2026-27 cohort, will have engaged 309 practitioners from 84 schools and early learning and childcare settings. Education Scotland will continue to promote and share this guidance and professional learning resources.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will develop a memorandum of understanding with MSP staff trade unions concerning the matters for which it is responsible.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2026
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 17 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the European Commission's approval of revised ship-financing arrangements in Spain following changes to the Spanish Tax Lease system, what financial mechanisms it has considered to help commercial shipyards in Scotland compete with European and international competitors that receive state support.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports Ferguson Marine through the provision of parent company guarantees when these are required to support new vessel and steel fabrication contracts. Scottish shipyards can also utilise the Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme delivered by UK Export Finance that provides a partial guarantee to a lender making a loan to a ship-buyer or operator, so that new vessels, or refits, retrofits or repairs of existing vessels can be procured from UK. Commercial shipyards and financial institutions in Scotland have not raised the Spanish tax lease system or the use of other international tax leasing frameworks with the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 17 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) to provide refund guarantees or patient capital to Scottish shipyards to explicitly facilitate the use of cross-border, multi-party tax lease structures, such as the revised ship-financing arrangements in Spain following changes to the Spanish Tax Lease system.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports Ferguson Marine through the provision of parent company guarantees when these are required to support new vessel and steel fabrication contracts. Scottish shipyards can also utilise the Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme delivered by UK Export Finance that provides a partial guarantee to a lender making a loan to a ship-buyer or operator, so that new vessels, or refits, retrofits or repairs of existing vessels can be procured from UK. Commercial shipyards and financial institutions in Scotland have not raised the Spanish tax lease system or the use of other international tax leasing frameworks with the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Flynn on 17 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with commercial financial institutions regarding the use of international tax leasing frameworks to help offset the research, development and manufacturing costs associated with the construction of alternative propulsion and zero-emission vessels.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports Ferguson Marine through the provision of parent company guarantees when these are required to support new vessel and steel fabrication contracts. Scottish shipyards can also utilise the Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme delivered by UK Export Finance that provides a partial guarantee to a lender making a loan to a ship-buyer or operator, so that new vessels, or refits, retrofits or repairs of existing vessels can be procured from UK. Commercial shipyards and financial institutions in Scotland have not raised the Spanish tax lease system or the use of other international tax leasing frameworks with the Scottish Government.
