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 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

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Question reference: S6O-01791

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what economic analysis it considered prior to awarding ferry contracts reportedly worth £115 million to a shipyard in Turkey.

Question reference: S6W-13041

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be an opportunity for UK suppliers to supply into the contract for two ferries awarded to Cemre Marin Endustri in Turkey by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), or whether the shipbuilder will determine the supply chain.

Question reference: S6W-13042

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the future refit, maintenance and repair of the two Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) commissioned ferries under construction by Cemre Marin Endustri in Turkey will take place in (a) Scotland or (b) the wider UK.

Future maintenance and any refit work is the responsibility of CalMac. The maintenance contracts for these vessels will be undertaken in line with the wider contracts that the operator has in place at point they enter service.

Currently the majority of the CalMac Fleet (owned by CMAL) has repairs, maintenance and dry docking carried out in Scotland. Due to capacity constraints a small number of vessels are drydocked in Birkenhead, NW England.

Question reference: S6W-13043

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) assesses social value during tendering for shipbuilding contracts.

Question reference: S6W-13039

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12299 by Shona Robison on 1 December 2022, when it expects to publish its response to the final report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into Asylum Provision in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question to S6W-12299 on 1 December 2022, the Scottish Government will publish its response to the Asylum Inquiry Scotland’s final report in due course.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-13044

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) scores the social value of shipbuilding tenders from overseas shipbuilders with the same weighting as tenders from Scotland or UK shipbuilders.

Question reference: S6W-13096

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current composition is of the ScotRail Trains Limited train operating company fleet in terms of ownership by third-party rolling stock companies.

Question reference: S6W-13054

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps Scottish Water is taking to address any dilapidated structural condition of the category B listed Partick Sewage Pumping Station at 35 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow.

Scottish Water has completed some works to the front facia elevation of the building and the dome structure as well as some minor roof repairs and replacement of downpipe and guttering. There have also been repairs made to replace vandalised windows. Scottish Water is now progressing work to replace the railings in line with the pumping station’s listed status and this is planned for early 2023 once the required traffic management on Argyle Street/Dumbarton Road is agreed with Glasgow City Council Roads Department.

In addition to this, Scottish Water is in the early design stages for improvements to the roof. This work is likely to be carried out towards the middle to end of 2024 following listed building consent being secured from the relevant authorities. Scottish Water is also planning some maintenance work on equipment integral to the operation and effective running of the pumping station.

Question reference: S6W-13075

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Prison Service will provide a report on the current structural condition of A, B, C, D and E accommodation halls at HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-12997

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to Skills Development Scotland, how it measures (a) outcomes, (b) performance and (c) value for money.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) are issued with a Ministerial letter of guidance at the start of each financial year, setting out delivery expectations for the year ahead.

In addition, SDS publish an annual Strategic Plan which is subject to Ministerial review and approval. The plan sets out the outcomes SDS intend to achieve, and the measures they use to monitor and report progress.

SDS report to the Scottish Government and Ministers on performance and spend through a series of governance meetings and produce regular reports including publishing quarterly Modern Apprenticeship statistics.

As set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual, NDPB Accountable officers are responsible for ensuring that the resources of the public body are used economically, efficiently and effectively, and that arrangements are in place to secure Best Value and deliver Value for Money for the public sector as a whole.