Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 1114 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6O-02162

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for neurology patients who are seeking an appointment with a physiotherapist.

Question reference: S6W-15387

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15004 by Richard Lochhead on 23 February 2023, whether it will work with Glasgow City Council to examine the technical feasibility of leasing or selling the air rights above the M8 in central Glasgow for commercial and/or residential development, as an alternative business model to financing the capping or decking over of the west flank of the motorway between St George's Cross, Charing Cross and Anderston Cross (at junctions 17 to 19).

I am aware of Glasgow City Council’s ambitions for a proposed M8 ‘garden cap’. Given that this proposal is about the wider public realm and land-use within the city it is more appropriate that this work is led by the City Council.

Transport Scotland will continue to engage constructively with the City Council where proposals or projects are considered to have a potential impact on transport assets and services owned and or provided by Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S6W-15009

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any plans to develop Glasgow Central Station so that it is capable of acting as the northern terminus of the HS2 network.

The procurement of HS2 trains and their operation are the responsibility of the UK Government, and therefore the information provided within this answer reflects the information the Scottish Government has received from the UK Government to date.

Despite there now being no firm plans by the UK Government to bring HS2 to Scotland it has been previously proposed that Glasgow Central will operate as the northern terminus of the HS2 network from day one of HS2 operation. Since HS2 trains will be fully compatible with the existing rail network there is no expectation by the Scottish Government that the station will require any alteration to accommodate them.

The UK Government’s consideration of yet another delay to the planned opening of HS2 is lamentable. They should be bringing forward plans for an earlier opening so that the benefits to Scotland and the rest of the UK may be realised sooner and the overall cost be reduced.

Question reference: S6W-15972

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the anticipated timescale is for the electrification of the City Union railway line in Glasgow.

No date has been set for the electrification of the City Union line, however, in line with the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan this route will be considered for future electrification by Transport Scotland.

The Decarbonisation Action Plan commits to all passenger diesel trains being replaced; the order and programme in which that is done will depend on business cases and available budgets. The Plan is a dynamic document, with a refresh of the Plan scheduled for 2023.

Question reference: S6W-15010

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support Glasgow City Council's proposal to cover the M8 between junctions 17 and 19 with a "garden cap", in light of the project not receiving funding in the second round of UK Government Levelling Up funding, and whether it will investigate the potential for platform deck structures to be marketed for private investment to develop the air rights over the motorway cutting as an alternative means to deliver the aspiration to cover the M8 in this area of central Glasgow.

I am aware of Glasgow City Council’s unsuccessful bid for Levelling up Funding for their proposed M8 ‘garden cap’ project. However the Levelling Up Fund is a UK Government initiative which clearly encroaches on devolved areas of transport policy. The Scottish Government has had no input into the development of the fund nor any responsibility for award decisions. Therefore, all the final decisions are solely taken by the UK Government.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role the M8 plays in providing access to key markets, jobs and services in Scotland and beyond. However given that this proposal is about the wider public realm and land-use within the city it is more appropriate that this work is led by the City Council. Transport Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, has a statutory duty as the Trunk Road Authority to ensure that any potential impacts on the trunk road network are appropriately assessed and any adverse impacts mitigated, where required.

Transport Scotland will continue to engage constructively with local authorities where proposals or projects are considered to have a potential impact on transport assets and services owned and or provided by Scottish Ministers and I trust that Local Authorities will likewise proactively seek the advice and guidance of my officials at Transport Scotland on such matters.

Question reference: S6O-02098

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what discussions it has had in relation to access to translation services for cross-party groups.

Question reference: S6W-15936

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the responses to the 20% car km reduction route map consultation will be published.

Question reference: S6W-15006

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Network Rail has presented a revised proposal to Transport Scotland for the proposed North Hanover Street improvement project at Glasgow Queen Street Railway Station, following its deferral in the 2020 Scottish Government Capital Spending Review.

Question reference: S6W-15802

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the UK's space industry regulatory framework is "not competitive", when it last engaged with the (a) UK Government and (b) Civil Aviation Authority regarding any potential impact on its ability to promote the space sector as part of Scotland's economic development, and what assessment it has made of any such impact.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with UK Government counterparts at ministerial and official level on many matters concerning the space sector, including the subject of regulation. Most recently I wrote to the UK Space Agency and my counterpart at the former BEIS in February, following a meeting with them in January.

On 16 March 2023, I wrote to the Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority to ask what immediate actions are being taken to reassure government, industry and their customers and investors, that the UK regulator will not inhibit either our global competitiveness as a spacefaring nation nor our spaceports or satellite manufacturers commercial prospects.

Question reference: S6W-15781

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that appropriate (a) lab space and (b) facilities are available in order to retain university life science spinouts in which there has been high investment.

a) For 2022-23, core funding for university research was increased to £299 million to maintain and strengthen Scotland’s excellent research base, with levels maintained for 2023-24. This funding is used for a range of purposes, including the provision of state of the art research facilities and lab equipment, and development opportunities for student and early career researchers who are the future of Scottish life sciences.

b) To ensure there are facilities available to support university spinouts the Scottish Government has invested in Research Pools, Innovation Centres and in the Alliance for Research Challenges. The aim is to create a critical mass of excellence, pulling together academic and industry expertise in areas of global importance, including Life Sciences.

In addition, investment through the City Region Deals is supporting a number of bespoke life sciences infrastructure projects including £10 million investment towards BioHub, an Aberdeen City Region Deal project. Located at the University of Aberdeen's Foresthill Health Campus, it will provide the support and physical infrastructure to help attract and retain life sciences spin outs in Scotland. As part of the Tay Cities Region Deal, Scottish Government agreed to provide £25 million towards facilities at the University, including £20.2 million towards an Innovation Hub to host and support spin-out and developing companies, including laboratory infrastructure.

As well as expert advice and help from our enterprise agencies to support business growth, through the Tech Scaler initiative we will provide intensive, structured commercial education to ‘start-up’ businesses in Scotland, to support them in growing and scaling-up to the full extent of their ambitions.