Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-42432

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what Barnett consequential funding will arise from the non-domestic rates decisions of the UK Government that were announced in its 2025 Budget.

The Scottish Government will receive £189 million in consequential funding in 2026-27 from decisions taken by the UK Government on Business rates in England. This includes measures on Business rates income retention, rate-setting and reliefs in England. Decisions on rates and reliefs alone account for £188 million in consequential funding. Consequentials, both negative and positive, accrue as a whole at fiscal events to Scotland and it is for the Scottish Ministers to allocate the funding available at Budget in line with prevailing economic conditions and Government priorities.

Question reference: S6O-05353

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Skills Development Scotland to discuss the development of new Modern Apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-42172

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that housing associations cooperate with telecommunications providers in agreeing wayleaves, in order to enable the timely roll-out of full-fibre broadband to tenants and residents.

Due to the reserved nature of telecoms legislation the Scottish Government is unable to intervene in negotiations between housing associations and network operators. Where it is not possible to reach an agreement, operators can seek to have an agreement imposed by the courts using the Electronic Communications Code.

The Scottish Government is supportive of reducing barriers to telecoms deployment and engage regularly with network operators to understand these issues and reflect them in our engagement with the UK Government.

Question reference: S6F-04505

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2025

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on whether the Scottish Government will instigate a direct award to Ferguson Marine for the replacement of MV Lord of the Isles.

Question reference: S6W-42025

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to update the Building Standards technical handbooks to phase-out the installation of low-level letterbox doors in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognise that the matter of low-level letterboxes has been a long-standing issue for members of the Communication Workers Union. As noted in earlier answers, Officials have been in the process of assessing options for amendment to building standards guidance, with the intent of providing more explicit guidance on the positioning of letterboxes where these are provided in new dwellings.

Further to this process, I can confirm our intent to include such amendments within our next edition of the Technical Handbooks, expected to come into force from April 2026. This amendment to guidance will help address the concerns of postal workers while also providing more general benefits in relation to the accessibility of new homes.

Question reference: S6O-05235

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress that is being made to replace Greenock Police Station and increase police officer numbers in Inverclyde.

Question reference: S6O-05221

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with registered social landlords in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency regarding the lack of new social homes being built.

Question reference: S6O-05092

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its consultation on proposals to introduce new licensing regulations covering a range of animal-related activities, what discussions it has had with Police Scotland and Trading Standards Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-40676

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recommendations it has received from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding a replacement for Port Glasgow Health Centre.

We are currently working with all NHS Health Boards to identify investment priorities across Scotland, that includes NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Historic real terms cuts to our block grant from the UK Government have put pressure on our capital budget and we have only recently received clarity from the UK Treasury for our capital and FT funding up to 2029-30.

As part of our own Scottish Spending Review, we are undertaking a full review of our capital spending to prioritise available funding towards projects that drive progress against our priorities. We will provide clarity over which projects will receive funding in the medium term when we publish this review, alongside our new Infrastructure Pipeline.

Question reference: S6W-40675

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding a replacement for Port Glasgow Health Centre.

We are currently working with all NHS Health Boards to identify investment priorities across Scotland, that includes NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Historic real terms cuts to our block grant from the UK Government have put pressure on our capital budget and we have only recently received clarity from the UK Treasury for our capital and FT funding up to 2029-30.

As part of our own Scottish Spending Review, we are undertaking a full review of our capital spending to prioritise available funding towards projects that drive progress against our priorities. We will provide clarity over which projects will receive funding in the medium term when we publish this review, alongside our new Infrastructure Pipeline.

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