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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-42397

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-05245 by Kate Forbes on 4 December 2025, whether it will confirm the (a) expected timetable for the laying before Parliament of the proposed legislation to create legal identities for Scotland's city regions, (b) powers that these new legal entities will have and (c) systems that are being considered to ensure that decisions are made by those with democratic mandates and not unelected city region officials.

We are committed to enabling regional co-operation, which is why last month the First Minister announced a plan to bring forward legislation in the next parliament to allow Regional Partnerships to become legal bodies. As is normal practice, we will provide details of the timetable for the next legislative programme in the next Parliament.

We are proposing a flexible approach, in which different Partnerships can ask for different powers at a level that works best for them. This will create a dynamic model of implementation which recognises Scotland’s regional differences. We intend to develop our approach in partnership and will engage with COSLA, regional groupings, and other interested stakeholders on the range and scope of powers.

We want to create a system that works for Scotland and accountability is an important part of that. However, this does not mean that we should directly copy the May oral model from England.

Question reference: S6W-42405

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what further action it plans to take to tackle the problem of underage vaping, in light of the report from the Faculty of Dental Surgery suggesting that 7.4% of 11- to 17-year-olds vape regularly.

Our Tobacco and Vaping Framework launched in November 2023 recognises the need for action to prevent young people using vapes and becoming addicted to nicotine. Up-to-date information on vapes is available from NHS Inform, Young Scot and third sector partners. It also forms one strand of the Curriculum for Excellence Health and Wellbeing Guidance in our schools.

The Framework also recognised price as a tool to reduce appeal of tobacco products and inappropriate use of vaping products by children and young people. Single use vapes (SUV) have been linked to a rapid increase in the number of young people vaping, particularly due to their low price. The SUV ban came into force from 1 June 2025 in line with the rest of the UK.

Taking forward actions from our Framework, we have worked closely with the UK and Devolved Governments on the development of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill will introduce new restrictions on the advertising, sponsorship, free distribution and nominal pricing of vaping products across the 4 nations.

New powers in the Bill will include regulation of displays of vaping products, product features, packaging, ingredients and flavourings in relation to vaping products across the UK.

Alongside this activity, we continue to work closely with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) to support enforcement of existing legislation, including checks on sales of tobacco and vapes to under 18s, and advice to business.

Question reference: S6W-42582

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make the recognition of qualifications and re-accreditation processes more accessible and affordable for displaced Ukrainians living in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-42584

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with delivery partners on implementing action 3.4 of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan 2024-2026 on promoting better understanding of qualification recognition pathways.

Question reference: S6W-42583

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing the recommendations of the independent review of community learning and development on the effective delivery of ESOL classes for displaced people, particularly in relation to expanding community-based language learning.

Question reference: S6W-42554

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of potential liabilities for site remediation at Grangemouth Refinery.

Question reference: S6W-42553

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ask the Scottish Prison Service to commission the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, or a similar body, to carry out a feasibility study for the adaptive reuse of the buildings at HMP Barlinnie, which were recently designated as Category A listed, when the site is no longer operational as a prison.

Question reference: S6W-42555

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the state purchasing land and property at Grangemouth Refinery, to facilitate and control new industrial development.

Question reference: S6W-42492

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 December 2025, what information it holds on whether any public bodies receive reports from Peel Ports and The King's Harbour Master regarding the monitoring of container traffic on the River Clyde.

Question reference: S6W-42524

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) correspondence and (b) communication it has had with the UK Government regarding how the proposals in the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill might impact employment legislation and in turn impact on Scotland's economy.