The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-03434

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the role that the 851 civil nuclear workers at Torness play in supporting Scotland’s energy security.

Question reference: S7O-00250

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
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.

Question reference: S7W-02580

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
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.

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.

Question reference: S7W-02579

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
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.

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.

Question reference: S7W-02582

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
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.

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.

Question reference: S7W-02581

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland or Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has evaluated the feasibility of procuring future vessels, including zero-emission ferries, through international tax lease structures such as the Agrupación de Interés Económico (AIE) in Spain to reduce final purchase prices while maintaining shipbuilding in Scotland.

Question reference: S7O-00273

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to endangered and critically endangered heritage crafts.

Question reference: S7W-02805

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the specific impact that the introduction of Compulsory Sales Orders would have on the ability of local authorities to tackle the reported backlog of long-term empty homes and derelict commercial properties.

Last year’s consultation, Compulsory Purchase Reform in Scotland, also included questions on compulsory sale orders, including whether they would add any benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase order process, as a tool for tackling long-term vacant or derelict properties. It is unclear from the analysis of responses whether compulsory sale powers would in practice be a simpler, quicker or cheaper option than compulsory purchase powers. Not all action on empty homes requires legislative reform and in 2026-27 we are investing £2 million to support the work of the successful Scottish Empty Homes Partnership to continue to drive down the number of empty homes.

Question reference: S7W-02806

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include powers for Compulsory Sales Orders in any bills during the current parliamentary session, in light of the strong support for such powers expressed by local authorities and housing associations responding to its recent consultation.

As set out in S7W-02804 on 16 September 2026, views on compulsory sale orders were supportive in principle, but with valid questions on what additional advantages might be over a reformed compulsory purchase process. We will continue to monitor whether compulsory sale powers could provide any additional benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase system.

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.

Question reference: S7W-02807

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what interim measures it is taking to support local authorities bring vacant and derelict buildings back into productive use while the statutory framework for Compulsory Sales Orders is being developed.

We have not committed to the development of a statutory framework for Compulsory Sale Orders. National Planning Framework 4 encourages, promotes and facilitates the reuse of brownfield, vacant and derelict land and empty buildings, to help reduce the need for greenfield development. Existing compulsory purchase powers can be used to help bring such land and buildings back into use. We will continue to monitor whether compulsory sale powers could provide any additional benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase system.

Chamber and committees

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Question reference: S7W-03434

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Question reference: S7O-00250

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Question reference: S7W-02580

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Question reference: S7W-02579

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Question reference: S7W-02582

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Question reference: S7W-02581

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Question reference: S7O-00273

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Question reference: S7W-02805

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Question reference: S7W-02806

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Question reference: S7W-02807

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