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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: S7W-03338

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the comparative level of funding available to listed places of worship in Scotland through the £1 million Historic Environment Scotland pilot scheme and the £92 million Places of Worship Renewal Fund established in England, and whether any Barnett consequentials arising from that UK scheme will be allocated as additional capital funding for listed places of worship in Scotland.

The pilot for Scotland’s Places of Worship Fund will run until March 2027 and will provide evidence on demand, impact and delivery arrangements to inform future support for the sector.

The Scottish Government has not identified any Barnett consequential funding specifically linked to the introduction of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund in England.

Under the Barnett formula, changes to the Scottish Government’s funding are calculated at the level of overall UK Government departmental spending, rather than individual programmes or schemes. UK Government ministers have confirmed that the funding for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund is included within the wider Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) settlement, and that Barnett consequentials are applied to the total departmental allocation rather than to specific funding lines.

Any additional funding associated with wider Department for Culture, Media and Sport spending changes were very small. The impact on the Scottish Government's capital block grant in 2026-27 was less than £10,000, and it is not possible to attribute that minor increase to any specific UK Government programme.

Question reference: S7W-03349

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with South Lanarkshire Council regarding the future of the site at Clydebridge.

Question reference: S7W-03339

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specific support or interim financial relief it will provide to congregations and dioceses experiencing significant VAT shortfalls on active conservation projects following the closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, including Carntyne and Cranhill Parish Church and listed churches within the Archdiocese of Glasgow.

Question reference: S7W-03337

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish a dedicated and long-term capital fund to address the growing number of historic church closures across Scotland, and what steps it is taking to ensure that funding for places of worship does not reduce the grant allocations available for other built environment and heritage projects managed by Historic Environment Scotland.

The Scotland’s Places of Worship Fund will operate as a pilot until March 2027. The pilot will provide evidence on demand, impact and delivery arrangements to help inform any future decisions on longer-term support for Scotland’s places of worship. The Scottish Government intends to continue supporting the sector to ensure that Scottish Places of Worship are not disadvantaged by the UK Government decision to end the UK-wide provision.

Decisions regarding the future use of places of worship are matters for the relevant faith bodies.

Regarding the Scotland’s Places of Worship Fund, this is separate from Historic Environment Scotland’s existing grant programmes.

Question reference: S7W-03297

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether Liberty Steel Dalzell is currently fulfilling its contract with Navantia, to supply plate for the Fleet Solid Support ships, including what tonnage has been delivered, what the agreed delivery timetable is, and what assessment it has made of any potential risks to that timetable.

Question reference: S7W-03294

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the current operational status of the Liberty Steel Plate Mill at Dalzell, including whether rolling has restarted, on what date production last took place, how many tonnes have been rolled in 2026 to date, and how many staff are (a) on site, (b) on furlough or reduced hours, and (c) engaged only in care and maintenance.

Question reference: S7W-03296

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the condition of the furnaces and rolling equipment at Liberty Steel Dalzell, including whether it has received any reports of underinvestment or maintenance backlogs that could prevent sustained production.

Question reference: S7W-03298

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Scottish Enterprise's working-capital loan to Liberty Steel Dalzell, what the outstanding balance is of the loan, when repayments under the loan were originally due, what repayments have been received to date, and whether any discussions have taken place regarding the restructuring of, or the writing off of, any part of the loan.

Question reference: S7O-00325

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that CMAL will no longer publish the names or locations of shipyards bidding for the MV Lord of The Isles replacement contract or any future vessel tenders.

Question reference: S7W-02647

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether a pilot programme for automated vending machines dispensing sterile injecting equipment and other harm reduction supplies could be authorised under existing legal exceptions agreed with the Lord Advocate, or whether additional guidance for Police Scotland would be needed to support individuals accessing supplies from these machines.

We remain committed to exploring any evidence-based harm reduction measure which will help us to reduce drug-related harms and save lives. If a local area identified an automated vending machine as a measure which would benefit their area, Scottish Government officials would be happy to work with them on the feasibility and logistics of implementing it. Needle exchange vending machines have already been used in Scotland by Hillcrest Futures in four of their Edinburgh and Glasgow services.