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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-32822

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Ferguson Marine is prepared to bid to build two floating docks for the Royal Navy under the Additional Fleet Time Docking Capability (AFTDC) project, which aims to acquire two floating dry docks and associated infrastructure for submarine maintenance at HMNB Clyde (Faslane).

Question reference: S6W-32815

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its lease of 5 Atlantic Quay at 150 Broomielaw after its owner, Singapore-based Elite Partners Capital’s UK Commercial Fund III, reportedly instructed JLL to seek offers over £20 million for the building in April 2024, and whether it has assessed the potential cost and benefit of making an offer to purchase the building to establish a freehold instead of a leasehold on the property.

In line with Ministerial priorities in the current challenging fiscal context, officials are always considering options and opportunities for Scottish Government's estate that make the best possible use of our existing assets and deliver value for money. The Scottish Minister’s leasehold interest at 5 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow is being considered as part of that strategic estate work. We cannot comment further at this time due to the commercial sensitivities involved.

Question reference: S6O-04227

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to dedicating 10% of frontline NHS spend to mental health and 1% to CAMHS.

Question reference: S6W-32876

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding access to urology services over the 2024-25 Christmas and New Year period, and what the outcome of these discussions was.

The Scottish Government and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) meet regularly with all Health Boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to discuss the performance and delivery of all planned care specialities including urology.

We have developed our winter plan with input from the whole Health and Social Care system which brings together best practice and improvement work which we know works from lessons learned in previous winters, to ensure that the most appropriate care is received in the right place and at the right time.

Question reference: S6W-32825

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in Glasgow that have experienced an overflow event in the last six months are not planned investment priorities.

Combined sewer overflows are an essential part of the sewer system, protecting properties from flooding at times of intense rainfall by allowing highly diluted wastewater to spill to the water environment. CSOs must be licensed by SEPA, and any unsatisfactory discharges will be identified so that Scottish Water can invest to reduce the environmental impact.

Scottish Water has already published a list of high priority CSOs to be upgraded at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/ScottishWater/Document-Hub/Key-Publications/Improving-Urban-Waters/150823HighPriorityUIDs.pdf. The prioritisation of future upgrades is under consideration as part of the preparations for the next investment period 2027-33. Ministers commissioned the Strategic Review of Charges process in April 2024 by writing to the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (https://wics.scot/system/files/2024-06/2027-33%20Commissioning%20Letter.pdf).

Scottish Water’s methodology towards prioritisation of investment is available at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflows/Prioritisation-of-Sewer-Overflows-in-Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-32824

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) combined sewer overflows (CSOs), (b) settled storm sewage overflows (SSSOs) and (c) emergency overflows (EOs) in Glasgow are currently monitored for overflow events, and what percentage this is of the total number.

As published by Scottish Water on its website at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflows/Prioritisation-of-Sewer-Overflows-in-Scotland, there are some 4,080 CSOs on its network.

Scottish Water publishes data on all monitored overflows on its website, and recently launched an overflow map at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflows/Live-Overflow-Map. The overflow map lists the number of monitored overflows by local authority.

More detailed information is available from Scottish Water upon request.

Question reference: S6W-32775

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether expressions of interest will be invioted to develop the air rights above (a) Charing Cross and (ii) High Street railway station in Glasgow to assess the potential for funding improvement of the (a) station infrastructure and (b) wider cityscape.

Question reference: S6W-32448

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to support the Norwegian-UK Strategic Partnership declared on 16 December 2024 as it relates to Scotland.

The Scottish Government has long recognised the importance of developing strong ties with Norway to fully realise our shared ambitions in devolved areas such as culture, education, energy and climate. The First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs, and Culture both met with the Norwegian Ambassador to the UK when he last visited Scotland for the Nordic Music Days festival. Additionally, the Minister for Climate Action recently visited Stavanger, where he led engagement with the Scottish and Norwegian port sectors. Scottish Government officials, both here in Scotland and overseas in our Nordic office, will continue to engage regularly with Norwegian partners.

While we are broadly supportive of the new Joint Declaration on the Norwegian-UK Strategic Partnership, it was disappointing that the Scottish Government was not given the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the drafting of the declaration, nor have we been asked to help operationalise it despite the fact that many of the commitments pertain to devolved policy areas.

Question reference: S6W-32464

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) CalMac and (b) CMAL are doing to honour the request of Selby Town Council for artefacts of the decommissioned ferry, MV Hebridean Isles, such as the ship's bell and builder's plate, to be salvaged and gifted to the town where the ship was originally built by Cochrane Shipbuilders in 1985 for public display.

Question reference: S6W-32816

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its total Glasgow city centre office leasehold and freehold footprint has been in terms of (a) buildings occupied and (b) total square footage occupied in each of the last 10 years.

Details of Scottish Government's Glasgow city centre office accommodation, including the buildings occupied and the total area in square metres, over the last 10 years are as follows:

Year	Building	NIA (Sq m)
2014-15	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Highlander House	2,911.63
	Europa Building	3,000.54
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		13,260.89

2015-16	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Highlander House	2,911.63
	Europa Building	3,000.54
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		13,260.89

2016-17	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Highlander House	2,911.63
	Europa Building	3,000.54
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		13,260.89

2017-18	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		7,348.72

2018-19	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		7,348.72

2019-20	4 Atlantic Quay	5,580.00
	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		12,928.72

2020-21	4 Atlantic Quay	5,580.00
	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		12,928.72

2021-22	4 Atlantic Quay	5,580.00
	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		12,928.72

2022-23	4 Atlantic Quay	5,580.00
	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
	Fruit Market, Blochairn	125.00
Total		12,928.72

2023-24	4 Atlantic Quay	5,580.00
	5 Atlantic Quay	7,223.72
Total		12,803.72

2024-2025	5 Atlantic Quay	9,014.57
Total		9,014.57