Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-41409

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is aiming to improve the transparency and accountability of mental health spending, in light of the report by Audit Scotland Adult Mental Health, published in September 2023, which identified a lack of transparency and comprehensive data on mental health spending in Scotland, making it challenging to assess progress against national objectives, and what its response is to the report findings that (a) there is an absence of a clear system to track expenditure across all sectors, including the third sector, (b) monitoring is largely limited to psychological therapy waiting times and (c) this fragmented data landscape and complex delivery system hinder effective evaluation of how mental health budgets are being used and their overall impact.

Through our delivery plan, which supports implementation of our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, we have looked to ensure that the actions set out reflect and respond appropriately to those Audit Scotland recommendations.

We are currently developing a Monitoring Framework and Evaluation Framework, and both are scheduled for publication in early 2026. Both frameworks will identify key gaps in current data sources and set out evaluation questions which will support understanding of progress against the outcomes of the Strategy. The work is being led by the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS) and was developed in collaboration with a range of stakeholders, including the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Leadership Board. Both frameworks will be used to plan monitoring and evaluation activities over the lifespan of the Strategy.

We have made significant improvements to the collection of routine data on the demand for and access to mental health services. PHS have developed an interactive dashboard for the Mental Health Quality Indicators, which will continue to be developed into a “one-stop-shop” for data on mental health services.

NHS Scotland expenditure on mental health is published annually in arrears in the Scottish Health Service Costs book by Public Health Scotland. The Cost Book is publicly accessible and offers a consistent framework for financial data across all NHS Boards. The most recent data published in February 2025 covers 2023-2024.

The Cost Book data shows NHS Scotland expenditure by services where the primary purpose of the service is the care and/or treatment of individuals with mental health conditions. This details expenditure on adult psychiatry, older adult psychiatry, CAMHS and recently added information on clinical psychology as previously recommended by Audit Scotland. This data is used to track progress towards Boards allocating 10% of their budgets to mental health, including 1% on CAMHS.

The Scottish Government continuously monitors NHS Boards’ financial positions through routine finance reporting. This resource provides a standardised approach to collecting detailed financial information, including outturn, spend by specialty, and achievement of efficiency targets. We expect spending on Mental Health between the Scottish Government and NHS Boards, to be around £1.5 billion in 2025-26.

Scottish Government recognises the key role of the third sector in the provision of mental health support, including in enabling early intervention and prevention. We remain committed to delivering against our commitment to increase the stability and sustainability of the third sector by developing a Fairer Funding approach, including offering multi-year funding where possible. For example, the 2025-27 Fairer Funding pilot includes £15 million per annum to grassroots projects through the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund administered by Third Sector Interfaces.

Our Service Renewal Framework, published in June 2025 sets out wider proposals to develop updated performance metrics and clearly defined outcome measures for all parts of our system, including mental health.

Question reference: S6O-05223

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consult MSP staff trade unions before deciding on uprating the Staff Cost Provision in the 2026-27 financial year.

Question reference: S6W-41718

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the launch of the procurement process for ScotRail's new suburban train fleet on 5 November 2025, whether this will include having Scotland-based social value requirements or other incentives to deliver local manufacturing and assembly work, similar to the plan announced by the Welsh Government to have a train production facility in Newport, and how it will prioritise supply chains and job creation in Scotland as part of the tender process.

The procurement of ScotRail’s new suburban fleet will comply with the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Procurement Duty, requiring bidders to demonstrate social, environmental and economic benefits, including community benefits and reducing inequality.

While legislation does not permit mandating Scottish-based manufacturing, bidders must engage with the Scottish Rail Cluster Builder and are encouraged to maximise local supply chain opportunities.

The inclusion of a Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement will create high-quality engineering jobs in Scotland for at least 10 years.

Question reference: S6O-05219

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its previous answer on 12 November, whether it will take the lead in establishing a common housing register in Glasgow to simplify applications and address the city's long social housing waiting lists.

Question reference: S6W-41641

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the recently launched Scottish National Building Standards Hub is equipped to provide the expertise of conservation accredited structural engineers, who are on the Conservation Accreditation Register of Engineers (CARE), to local authorities that may require such specialised advice but may not have access to it in-house, including when decisions are being made around dangerous historic buildings and the potential need for demolition works.

The Scottish Building Standards Hub (SBSH) is an independent unit hosted by Fife Council, providing support to all building standards services across Scotland in both verification and enforcement. Responsibility for decisions regarding the professional qualifications of staff lies with SBSH.

A dedicated structural engineering hub is currently being established within SBSH to enhance technical support. However, there are no current plans to incorporate conservation-accredited structural engineering expertise within this unit. Local authorities will continue to engage structural engineers with appropriate conservation experience on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that specialist input is available when required.

Question reference: S6W-41405

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government of the 21 transfers of engagements of housing associations approved and actioned across Scotland since 2010, which of those involved (a) the transfer of a community-based housing association (CBHA) to a neighbouring CBHA, thereby retaining local accountability and (b) the transfer of a CBHA to a larger registered social landlord.

Question reference: S6W-41415

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Glasgow City Council and all of the city’s registered social landlords to establish a common housing register, either on a single city wide or on a district basis.

The Scottish Government supports the establishment of a Common Housing Register in Glasgow either city wide or on a district basis, where Glasgow City Council and housing associations involved are in agreement that this is the best way to manage their allocation policies.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 provides Ministers with powers to require the establishment of common housing registers (to be exercised where appropriate). However, reflecting the role of local authorities and housing associations in determining the most effective way to manage allocations in their area, since 2001 CHRs have been developed on a voluntary basis, with 16 currently in operation.

Question reference: S6W-41283

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support Glasgow City Council and Glasgow's 59 housing associations to establish a Common Housing Register to improve the efficiency of housing stock allocation in the city.

The responsibility for the management of allocating housing in the social rented sector lies with local authorities and housing associations. It is for them to determine the most effective way to manage allocation policy to balance the housing needs of their communities and addresses the relative needs of individuals.

The Scottish Government continues to see Common Housing Registers as a potentially useful way of simplifying and maximising access to social housing. Where local authorities and housing associations have determined that this is the best way to manage allocations in their local circumstances, we support this through information provided at Common Housing Register (CHR) - building a register: a practitioner's guide - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-41406

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) pause the withdrawal of the Family Protection Plan (FPP), in light of reports that members of credit unions across Scotland face the sudden loss of this long-standing insurance policy, which was brokered by CMutual and underwritten by Maiden Life Forsakrings AB (UK Branch), in order to help families cover funeral costs.

The Scottish Government has engaged with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Association of British Credit Unions Limited (ABCUL) to understand the implications of the withdrawal and the support being provided to current policyholders. We will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that those affected receive clear information about their options.

The FCA has confirmed that the withdrawal of the Family Protection Plan is a commercial decision taken by Maiden Life. It is not within the FCA’s remit to require Maiden Life to continue to offer the plan. The focus of the FCA has been to ensure impacted credit union members are appropriately informed and have sufficient opportunity to consider their options and have encouraged the Credit Unions to take proactive steps to communicate clearly and promptly with their members about the termination of FPP. The FCA also confirmed that the notification period provided by Maiden Life exceeded that required by the policy.

Question reference: S6W-41413

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the latest economic inactivity rate in Scotland of 22.7% compares with the latest available rates in ITL 1 statistical regions of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with all other 37 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD).

The estimated economic inactivity rate for people aged 16 to 64 in Scotland was 22.7% in June to August 2025. This was lower than the estimated economic inactivity rates for Northern Ireland (26.9%) and Wales (25.0%), but higher than the estimated rate for England (20.5%). ONS publish OECD economic inactivity rate statistics covering the 38 OECD countries. The most recent data were published on 14 October 2025, covering the period to Q2 2025 (April – June).

The estimated economic inactivity rate for Scotland in April – June 2025 was 21.9%. Comparison with ONS’s published international data suggests that Scotland’s economic inactivity rate in Q2 2025 was lower than the estimated OECD average rate (25.9%).

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