The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-03170

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
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.

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.

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-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-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-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-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.

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Question reference: S7W-03170

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Question reference: S7O-00250

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Question reference: S7W-02579

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Question reference: S7W-02580

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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-02804

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Question reference: S7W-02808

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Question reference: S7W-02806

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