The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6W-43876

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of ScotRail tickets are currently (a) purchased using its app and (b) still paper-based.

Question reference: S6W-43875

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing in conjunction with administrator FRP Advisory to ensure that Orbex and its work to develop a sovereign space launch capability in Scotland is maintained as a going concern.

The Scottish Government has been engaging with FRP Advisory, as the appointed administrators of Orbex, to understand both the position of the company, its workforce and its infrastructure and assets to explore any measures that could support continuity of operations.

The Scottish Government’s enterprise and skills agencies are also monitoring developments closely to support any viable pathways that safeguard strategic capability and skilled employment.

Finally, Scottish Ministers have sought clarity from the UK Government around its intentions for generating and maintaining sovereign launch capability for the UK, given its relevance to our national security.

Question reference: S6W-43829

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many mental health workers are currently employed in general practice, broken down by NHS board.

Mental Health Workers working in General Practice can be employed by either Health Boards or by GP practices.

Data on the whole-time equivalent (WTE) Mental Health Workers, who are employed as part of Primary Care Improvement Plans associated with delivery of the 2018 GMS contract, is published annually by Scottish Government: Primary care improvement plans - implementation progress summary: March 2025 - gov.scot. Most of these staff are employed by Health Boards and most are funded from the Scottish Government’s Primary Care Improvement Fund.

Data on the Mental Health Workforce, which is directly employed by GP practices, is published annually by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) in the General Practice Workforce Survey 2025 Dashboard | Turas Data Intelligence report. This reports that as of 31 March 2025, there are 23 Mental Health Nurses(14.1 WTE) employed by GP practices.

The combined data from both sources above is displayed in the following table.

NHS Board	Mental Health Workers – WTE
Ayrshire and Arran	31.9
Borders	20.5
Dumfries and Galloway	16
Fife	22.6
Forth Valley	25
Grampian	23.6
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	39.4
Highland	35.9
Lanarkshire	101.9
Lothian	70.06
Orkney	0
Shetland	0
Tayside	20.01
Western Isles	0

Question reference: S6O-05610

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support registered social landlords with the costs of retrofitting the building fabric of social homes to make them energy efficient and fit for the future.

Question reference: S6W-43724

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what regulations have been created for the enforcement of measures, including destruction, in relation to vehicles linked to fly-tipping, since the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 came into force.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 strengthens the legislative framework for tackling flytipping. The current position on the relevant Sections of the Act are set out below:

Section 11 (fixed penalty notices for flytipping): this provision enabling Scottish Ministers to increase the flytipping fixed penalty amount in section 33A(9) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 up to £1,000 (and also provide for different amounts in different cases or descriptions of cases) by way of order is in force, but no secondary legislation has been made in exercise of that power. The amendment was supported during Stage 2 to provide flexibility for the future, particularly following the increase of the flytipping fixed penalty amount to £500 under existing powers from 1 January 2024. No commitment was made to increase the fixed penalty amount further within a specific timeframe.
Sections 12 (removal of unlawfully deposited waste) amends Section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and sets out the current process on the face of legislation and amends the appeals process. the same approach applies, regulation making powers have been commenced to enable the necessary supporting regulations to be developed in advance of full commencement of the substantive provisions.
Section 13 (information on flytipping offences) is in force. The provision creates a power for Scottish Ministers to require information from relevant authorities in order to better understand the national picture on flytipping and to progress towards effective and accurate national reporting. Beyond the power itself being commenced, there are currently no further statutory requirements or published commitments setting out when or how that power will be exercised. Work to improve flytipping data is ongoing through delivery of the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.
Section 14 (householder’s duty of care) amends the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to make breach of the existing householder duty of care an offence and to provide for enforcement by way of fixed penalty notice. While the core offence and fixed penalty amount are set out on the face of the Act, the section also includes regulation-making powers, for example to modify the fixed penalty amount or to specify additional categories of authorised enforcement officers. At present, section 14 has been commenced for the purpose of making regulations only and the amended offence and fixed penalty regime are therefore not yet fully in force.
Section 19 (powers to search and seize vehicles): the powers to make various regulations necessary for the effective operation of the new provisions inserted into the Environment Act 1995 by section 19 are in force, with the intention to bring the provision fully into force once the regulations are made.

Question reference: S6W-43723

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what work has taken place on littering and fly-tipping since the publication of the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.

The 2023 National Litter and Fly tipping Strategy, is a six-year programme focused on behaviour change, infrastructure and services and enforcement. The Strategy is delivered in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful(KSB)and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), working with other stakeholders, including local councils. Full details of activities undertaken to date are set out in the annual update and action plans: National litter and flytipping strategy: year 2 update and year 3 action plan 2025-2026 - gov.scot and National litter and flytipping strategy: update and year 2 action plan - gov.scot.

Question reference: S6W-43725

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to address habitual industrial fly-tipping.

As set out in the Duty of Care: Code of Practice for Managing Controlled Waste, every organisation and individual has a duty to ensure that, when they dispose of waste, they do so using a registered waste carrier. SEPA provides a public register of waste carriers on its website. SEPA and Revenue Scotland are members of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, a multi-agency taskforce that works in partnership to tackle serious and organised crime in the UK waste industry.

Our new digital waste tracking system, which is being introduced in all four nations, will replace existing paper-based and inconsistent systems for tracking waste with a streamlined digital service, reducing opportunities for waste crime and underpinning our transition to a circular economy.

The Scottish Government laid The Digital Waste Tracking (Scotland) Regulations 2026 before the Scottish Parliament on 12 January. These Regulations introduce the first phase of the new digital waste tracking system.

Powers introduced by the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, when fully implemented, will strengthen the legislative foundation for tackling and deterring fly tipping. For example, new powers to be inserted into the Environment Act 1995 by section 19 will allow local authorities to search and seize vehicles suspected of being used in relation to specified waste crimes.

Question reference: S6W-43727

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any studies into any mental health impacts on residents living near areas that are affected by habitual fly-tipping.

The Scottish Government has not conducted any specific research into mental health impacts on residents living near areas that are affected by habitual fly tipping. Keep Scotland Beautiful publish an annual Scottish Litter Survey which help us understand public perceptions of litter and fly tipping in Scotland and indicates that littering and fly tipping negatively impact the quality of life of people living in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-43718

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what actions are currently being taken to tackle fly-tipping.

The 2023 National Litter and Fly tipping Strategy sets out a six-year framework to take action on littering and fly tipping, with a focus on behaviour change, infrastructure and services, and enforcement.

The Strategy is delivered in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), working with other stakeholders, including local councils. Updates and action plans are published annually and are available on the Scottish Government website. These plans outline specific measures to improve the quality of fly tipping data, work collaboratively to tackle fly tipping and strengthen regulatory tools.

Recent actions include increasing the fixed penalty notice amount for fly tipping from £200 to £500; SEPA has developed a partnership model with local authorities to undertake shared investigations, data exchange, and proportionate enforcement action; and Zero Waste Scotland provided a private landowners grant scheme to support landowners to take action on fly tipping. This scheme operated for 2 years, an evaluation has recently been published and, as part of the Year 3 Action Plan, a national event has been proposed to share learning.

Question reference: S6W-43721

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what statutory powers are available to local authorities to tackle habitual fly-tippers.

Fly tipping is a criminal offence in Scotland under Section 33(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 with maximum penalties on summary conviction of a fine of up to £40,000, or a custodial sentence not exceeding six months or both and on conviction on indictment, a fine or term of imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.

Local Authority enforcement officers may also issue fixed penalty notices(FPN)for fly tipping to persons believed to have fly tipped which provide the opportunity for a person to discharge liability to conviction by payment of a fixed penalty of £500, noting that habitual fly tippers should be reported to the Procurator Fiscal for prosecution. Amendments to section 33A by the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, once in force, will allow for further increases of the fixed penalty up to a maximum of a level 3 fine(currently £1000) and also for different penalties in different circumstances, for example on a second FPN. Local authorities also have powers under section 59 to require clean-up of fly tipped waste by land occupiers, under certain circumstances.

New powers introduced by the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 will, when fully implemented, strengthen the legislative foundation for tackling and deterring fly tipping. For example, section 19 will amend the Environment Act 1995 to provide local authority and SEPA officers to search and seize vehicles suspected of being used in relation to specified waste crimes, which may include fly tipping.

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