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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-10832

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake a consultation on the introduction or piloting of bans or other restrictions on Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) over 7.5t in weight from overtaking on Scottish trunk roads.

Question reference: S6W-10952

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to secure further supplies of Imvanex and Jynneos in order to be able to offer a Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine against monkeypox to those living in the Glasgow region who are considered to be at risk of exposure, currently understood to include gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men, and the medical staff who treat them.

Question reference: S6W-10606

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm a capital finance package for the proposed Scottish Event Campus (SEC) expansion, which secured Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP) from Glasgow City Council in June 2021, and what its position is on whether its timeous construction is critical to maintaining the international competitiveness of the Scottish Event Campus (SEC).

We recognise the importance of the Scottish Events Campus as one of the world’s top conference and events venues, as recently exemplified in the successful hosting of COP26. It is clear that the SEC makes a vital contribution not just to Glasgow’s economy, but to Scotland’s economy as a whole.

As Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, I engaged with Peter Duthie, the CEO of the SEC, with regards to the SEC expansion plans and broader matters affecting the events sector. These discussions have necessarily been paused due to emerging budgetary pressures and reassessment of budget priorities as set out in the Resource Spending Review. We are therefore unable to commit to the provision of funding support via a capital finance package for the expansion of the conferencing centre at the current time.

However, we are keen to continue to engage with the SEC and the wider business conference and events sector on how the review of the National Event Strategy Scotland: The Perfect Stage, can enable us to build on its success, and to deliver on the priorities of our National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

Question reference: S6W-10585

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how long the process for a family to adopt a child in Scotland should normally take.

There are no prescribed timescales within regulations in Scotland for the adoption process to be completed.

Where adoption is the right route for a child or young person, the Scottish Government want this to happen as swiftly as possible. However, we recognise that the process is complex and involves multi agency working to ensure the welfare and safeguarding of the child. No two cases will be the same and the circumstances of each child need to inform the approach taken, within the context of the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.

Question reference: S6W-10587

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how long each step of the adoption process should take for children and families seeking adoption through adoption services.

Question reference: S6W-10586

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what expectations it has of local authorities regarding the timescales associated with connecting children seeking adoption with families who have applied for adoption.

Question reference: S6O-01404

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent ballot for industrial action by members of the Educational Institute of Scotland trade union.

Question reference: S6W-10525

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that charities that normally qualify for water charge rebates, but were involved in dispersing grants in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, have had their turnover artificially inflated to above £300,000, meaning they no longer qualify, and whether it will undertake to provide an exemption in such cases.

The water and sewerage charges exemption scheme is open to charities which have an income of less than £300,000. Eligibility is assessed based on gross income information as obtained from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and there are no disregards in respect of capital grants or restricted income. This position was agreed in light of a public consultation and reflects the fact that in many cases restricted income/capital grants are not clearly set out in annual accounts.

In recognition that restricted income such as grants or asset disposals would elevate, temporarily, a charity’s income, the income threshold for eligibility was increased from £65,000 to £200,000 for full exemption and £300,000 for partial exemption. Setting a higher income threshold ensures that the administrative costs of the scheme are kept to a minimum as there is no need for individual assessments to be made in relation to the nature of the restricted income. Furthermore, as charities are required to submit annual applications, this means that if an organisation does not qualify in one financial year, it will not be prevented from applying in future years should it meet the criteria of the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-10936

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what responsibilities community-owned housing associations have to provide their members and service users with details of proposed mergers.

There are a range of responsibilities on Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to engage and provide information to their members and service users about proposed mergers or transfer of engagements.

RSLs are required by legislation to consult and seek the approval of tenants if it proposes to transfer its homes to another landlord. The regulator has published statutory guidance for RSLs to ensure RSLs consider and act in accordance with the views of their tenants and that tenants interests are protected.

An RSLs constitution will also set out how it should engage with its members regarding these decisions.

Standard 2 of the SHRs Regulatory Framework requires RSLs to be open and accountable and give tenants and service users information that meets their needs about the RSL, its services, performance and future plans.

Additionally, the Scottish Social Housing Charter sets the standards and outcomes all social landlords should aim to achieve when performing their housing activities, this includes that social landlords manage their business so that tenants and other customers can get the information they need about their landlord, how and why it makes decisions.

Question reference: S6W-10937

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of registered social landlords merging there have been in the Glasgow region since (a) 2014 and (b) 2010.