Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

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 ��˿�� 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-17457

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 5 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the University of Strathclyde regarding the future development of the Technology and Innovation Zone at the campus, in light of reports that the procurement procedure for the design and construction of the planned Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) East and West Buildings has been discontinued.

The Scottish Government has not held discussions with the University of Strathclyde regarding the procurement procedure for the design and construction of the planned Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) East and West Buildings.

Procurement matters are the responsibility of Higher Education Institutions as autonomous bodies, however they must comply with the terms of their Financial Memorandum with the Scottish Funding Council, and the principles of good governance set out in the Scottish Code of Good HE Governance.

Question reference: S6W-17169

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Liberty Steel has secured a A$50 million (US$33.6 million) government grant to partially fund the installation of a new low-carbon Q-One Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) from Italian equipment manufacturer, Danieli, which is reported to require a capital investment of between A$400 and 500 million, at its Whyalla plant in South Australia, and whether it will pursue a similar opportunity with the company for Liberty's Dalzell and Clydebridge steel works at Motherwell and Cambuslang.

The Scottish Government is aware of the recent announcement by Liberty Steel that it is to install a new Electric Arc Furnace at its Whyalla plant in South Australia.

We applaud Liberty Steel’s commitment to its global decarbonisation strategy which aims to be carbon neutral in its steel production by 2030 and we welcome the steps it is taking towards this goal.

Scottish Government regularly engage with Liberty Steel regarding their operations. We are not aware of any plans to install an Electric Arc Furnace at either Dalzell or Clydebridge at this time. Any such decision would be an operational one for Liberty Steel.

Question reference: S6W-17465

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding the redevelopment of the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-17210

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service initiate an options appraisal and consultation on the potential disposal of the large surface car park to the south of Glasgow Sheriff Court, or selling the air rights above it while retaining a car parking facility, to promote mixed-use residential development as part of the wider regeneration of Laurieston district, and the restoration of Gorbals Cross as a key urban set-piece in the southside of Glasgow, including the reconstruction of an active street frontage to Norfolk Street and Gorbals Street.

Question reference: S6O-02216

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the Scottish Welfare Fund.

Question reference: S6W-16767

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the social impact of grassroots boxing clubs in local communities, and, if none, whether it will consider undertaking research to measure any such impact.

While the Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessment of the social impact of grassroots boxing we recognise that boxing as a sport is continuing to break down barriers. The wide reach of boxing related projects continues to grow with a lasting and positive impact on people and communities.

Boxing has the ability to reach into disadvantaged communities and engage young people who otherwise might not participate in sport, providing a significant opportunity to address a number of issues including improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities, and benefiting social regeneration.

We will continue to work with sport scotland and Boxing Scotland to ensure that grassroots boxing maintains its positive impact on communities throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16648

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many mental health community link workers were recruited in each financial year from 2016-17 to 2021-22, broken down by NHS board.

Community Link Workers are generalists who support people with a range of social and economic issues which can include mental health. The Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) funds Community Link Workers (CLWs) as part of primary care multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). At March 2022, 249 WTE CLWs had been recruited to support GP practices.

The Scottish Government published information on the number CLWs recruited broken down by Integration Authority, on 21 June 2022.Further information, including the location by Integration Authority, of CLWs by both headcount and whole time equivalent, since 2018, can be accessed at: . This does not include CLWs recruited through funding other than PCIF funding.

The Scottish Government has already invested significantly to build mental health capacity including our Action 15 commitment to funding 800 additional mental health workers in key settings, including A&Es, GP practices, police station custody suite and prisons – ensuring local provision and support is at the heart of our plans. As at 12 July 2022, an additional 958.9 whole time equivalent (WTE) mental health roles have been filled using Action 15 funding, including 356.1 WTE posts in GP practices and a further 259.9 WTE mental health workers recruited under the Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF). A full performance report can be found here .

Question reference: S6W-16766

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the financial viability of community boxing clubs in Scotland, and what steps it will take to prevent clubs from closing due to increased running and utilities costs in the next financial year.

While the Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessment of the financial viability of community boxing clubs, we recognise their importance to the overall physical, mental and social health of communities across Scotland.

sport scotland investment into Boxing Scotland supports a wide range of boxing activity that encourages and supports people to participate in boxing, including both club and coach development.

We understand the challenging financial circumstances facing many sports facilities and are fully aware that rising energy costs are a significant issue. Given that most of the levers to respond to these challenges are reserved, we strongly urge the UK Government to use all the powers at its disposal to tackle this cost of living crisis.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with sport scotland to explore how facility operators and the wider sporting sector can best be supported.

Question reference: S6W-17168

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Scottish Training Federation has warned that thousands of young people across Scotland have been “left in limbo” as no new modern apprenticeships will be available “for the foreseeable future”, as a result of delays in Scottish Government funding to Skills Development Scotland, which is reportedly resulting in employers putting their recruitment plans on hold, and training providers looking at laying off staff due to the shortage of work.

Modern Apprenticeships are a vital resource for employers to invest in their workforce and for people to develop their skills. Investing in skills across people’s lifetimes is critical to our future productivity and success, underlining our commitment to a skilled workforce set out within the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

Our priority is for high quality apprenticeships that provide sustainable jobs and careers, supporting our transition to net zero.

SDS have issued contract awards for new Modern Apprenticeships for this financial year to support up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship starts in 2023-24. SDS previously issued contracts in March for over 39,000 Modern Apprentices in training for 2023-24 supporting businesses and individuals across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-17306

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a development plan to grow shipping traffic and cargo tonnage handled by port facilities on the River Clyde and Firth of Clyde, and, if so, whether it will publish any such plan.

The Scottish Government have hosted a number of stakeholder meetings to explore options to help facilitate a growth of shipping traffic and cargo across ports in Scotland.

Scottish Government Trade and Transport Scotland officials are working closely with industry to identify barriers and unlock opportunities to increase volumes of exports leaving Scottish ports and airports. We have also analysed export data on routes which key Scottish exports take to market, and the underlying drivers of these route choices. We are continuing to explore how to support trade including ensuring that Scotland’s transport network is able to accommodate our export growth ambitions.