The Scottish Parliament

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-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-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-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: 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: 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-02648

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, following the departure of Dr Calum MacLeod, how many Land Commissioners currently serve on the board of the Scottish Land Commission; for what reason, in the context of public service reform, it has not yet recruited a replacement for Dr MacLeod, whether it plans the board to return to its full statutory complement of five Commissioners and, if (a) so, by what date it expects to do so and (b) not, (i) on what legal authority it is operating with fewer than five Commissioners and (ii) whether it will lay regulations under section 4(5) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 to alter the number of Commissioners.

I wrote to the Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee on 3 September 2026 to notify them of my intention to bring forward a Scottish statutory instrument which, subject to Parliament’s consideration, will amend the number of Land Commissioners at the Scottish Land Commission from five to four. We expect the instrument to be laid in early October. The letter can be found on Parliament’s website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-7/rural-affairs-committee/correspondence/2026/land-reform-scotland-act-2016-of-3-september

Following Dr Calum MacLeod's resignation earlier this year, there are currently four Land Commissioners serving as members of the Scottish Land Commission. The Tenant Farming Commissioner also serves as a member of the Commission.

Question reference: S7W-02808

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

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the proposed operational framework for Compulsory Sales Orders will integrate with existing efforts to streamline Compulsory Purchase Orders to provide a comprehensive toolkit for urban regeneration.

Question reference: S7W-02804

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 when it plans to introduce primary legislation to establish Compulsory Sales Orders, following the publication on 26 August 2026 of the summary of responses to its consultation on compulsory purchase reform and the analysis report of its consultation on compulsory sale and lease orders.

The Scottish Government’s ‘Compulsory Purchase Reform in Scotland’ consultation demonstrated support for reforming and modernising Scotland's compulsory purchase system and we have committed to legislate for the proposed reforms during this Parliament, as set out in the Programme for Government.

The consultation also included questions about compulsory sale orders, and while respondents expressed support in principle, some questioned whether this could offer additional advantages beyond a reformed compulsory purchase process, with uncertainty about efficacy, justification and practical operation. As part of continuous improvement, we will continue to monitor whether compulsory sale powers could provide any additional benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase system.

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.

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Filter your results Hide all filters

Question reference: S7O-00250

Answer

Question reference: S7W-02579

Answer

Question reference: S7W-02580

Answer

Question reference: S7W-02581

Answer

Question reference: S7W-02582

Answer

Question reference: S7O-00273

Answer

Question reference: S7W-02648

Answer

Question reference: S7W-02808

Answer

Question reference: S7W-02804

Answer

Question reference: S7W-02805

Answer