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-41718

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the launch of the procurement process for ScotRail's new suburban train fleet on 5 November 2025, whether this will include having Scotland-based social value requirements or other incentives to deliver local manufacturing and assembly work, similar to the plan announced by the Welsh Government to have a train production facility in Newport, and how it will prioritise supply chains and job creation in Scotland as part of the tender process.

The procurement of ScotRail’s new suburban fleet will comply with the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Procurement Duty, requiring bidders to demonstrate social, environmental and economic benefits, including community benefits and reducing inequality.

While legislation does not permit mandating Scottish-based manufacturing, bidders must engage with the Scottish Rail Cluster Builder and are encouraged to maximise local supply chain opportunities.

The inclusion of a Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement will create high-quality engineering jobs in Scotland for at least 10 years.

Question reference: S6O-05219

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its previous answer on 12 November, whether it will take the lead in establishing a common housing register in Glasgow to simplify applications and address the city's long social housing waiting lists.

Question reference: S6W-41641

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the recently launched Scottish National Building Standards Hub is equipped to provide the expertise of conservation accredited structural engineers, who are on the Conservation Accreditation Register of Engineers (CARE), to local authorities that may require such specialised advice but may not have access to it in-house, including when decisions are being made around dangerous historic buildings and the potential need for demolition works.

The Scottish Building Standards Hub (SBSH) is an independent unit hosted by Fife Council, providing support to all building standards services across Scotland in both verification and enforcement. Responsibility for decisions regarding the professional qualifications of staff lies with SBSH.

A dedicated structural engineering hub is currently being established within SBSH to enhance technical support. However, there are no current plans to incorporate conservation-accredited structural engineering expertise within this unit. Local authorities will continue to engage structural engineers with appropriate conservation experience on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that specialist input is available when required.

Question reference: S6W-41415

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Glasgow City Council and all of the city’s registered social landlords to establish a common housing register, either on a single city wide or on a district basis.

The Scottish Government supports the establishment of a Common Housing Register in Glasgow either city wide or on a district basis, where Glasgow City Council and housing associations involved are in agreement that this is the best way to manage their allocation policies.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 provides Ministers with powers to require the establishment of common housing registers (to be exercised where appropriate). However, reflecting the role of local authorities and housing associations in determining the most effective way to manage allocations in their area, since 2001 CHRs have been developed on a voluntary basis, with 16 currently in operation.

Question reference: S6W-41405

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government of the 21 transfers of engagements of housing associations approved and actioned across Scotland since 2010, which of those involved (a) the transfer of a community-based housing association (CBHA) to a neighbouring CBHA, thereby retaining local accountability and (b) the transfer of a CBHA to a larger registered social landlord.

Question reference: S6W-41283

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support Glasgow City Council and Glasgow's 59 housing associations to establish a Common Housing Register to improve the efficiency of housing stock allocation in the city.

The responsibility for the management of allocating housing in the social rented sector lies with local authorities and housing associations. It is for them to determine the most effective way to manage allocation policy to balance the housing needs of their communities and addresses the relative needs of individuals.

The Scottish Government continues to see Common Housing Registers as a potentially useful way of simplifying and maximising access to social housing. Where local authorities and housing associations have determined that this is the best way to manage allocations in their local circumstances, we support this through information provided at Common Housing Register (CHR) - building a register: a practitioner's guide - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-41295

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to encourage organisations to buy from Scotland's social enterprises.

The Scottish Government supports a range of activity to encourage organisations to buy from social enterprises.

Through funding for Social Enterprise Scotland, we support the Buy Social Scotland initiative which promotes responsible procurement and connects buyers with social enterprise suppliers. Over 48 organisations have signed the Buy Social Pledge, including local authorities and private sector firms. A national Supplier Catalogue, developed and regularly updated as part of the initiative, helps buyers identify and engage with social enterprise suppliers.

We also published the first SME and Third Sector Procurement Action Plan in April 2024 to reduce barriers and improve access to public procurement. A review of the impact of this plan was published in August 2025. Through Scottish Government funding, Public Contracts Scotland was updated to allow third sector organisations to self-identify, enabling contracting authorities to take a more targeted approach to procurement opportunities such as Quick Quotes. These changes have been promoted across the third sector and the wider Scottish public sector to encourage utilisation.

Question reference: S6W-41413

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the latest economic inactivity rate in Scotland of 22.7% compares with the latest available rates in ITL 1 statistical regions of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with all other 37 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD).

The estimated economic inactivity rate for people aged 16 to 64 in Scotland was 22.7% in June to August 2025. This was lower than the estimated economic inactivity rates for Northern Ireland (26.9%) and Wales (25.0%), but higher than the estimated rate for England (20.5%). ONS publish OECD economic inactivity rate statistics covering the 38 OECD countries. The most recent data were published on 14 October 2025, covering the period to Q2 2025 (April – June).

The estimated economic inactivity rate for Scotland in April – June 2025 was 21.9%. Comparison with ONS’s published international data suggests that Scotland’s economic inactivity rate in Q2 2025 was lower than the estimated OECD average rate (25.9%).

Question reference: S6W-41406

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) pause the withdrawal of the Family Protection Plan (FPP), in light of reports that members of credit unions across Scotland face the sudden loss of this long-standing insurance policy, which was brokered by CMutual and underwritten by Maiden Life Forsakrings AB (UK Branch), in order to help families cover funeral costs.

The Scottish Government has engaged with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Association of British Credit Unions Limited (ABCUL) to understand the implications of the withdrawal and the support being provided to current policyholders. We will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that those affected receive clear information about their options.

The FCA has confirmed that the withdrawal of the Family Protection Plan is a commercial decision taken by Maiden Life. It is not within the FCA’s remit to require Maiden Life to continue to offer the plan. The focus of the FCA has been to ensure impacted credit union members are appropriately informed and have sufficient opportunity to consider their options and have encouraged the Credit Unions to take proactive steps to communicate clearly and promptly with their members about the termination of FPP. The FCA also confirmed that the notification period provided by Maiden Life exceeded that required by the policy.

Question reference: S6W-41399

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the temporary barriers will be removed from the carriageway at the railway overbridge at Sword Street in Dennistoun.