- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential use of critical national infrastructure designations to facilitate the siting of small modular reactors at established civil nuclear sites, including Hunterston, Torness, Chapelcross and Dounreay, and what assessment it has made of how such designations might interact with or supersede devolved powers.
Answer
The Scottish Government has had no discussions with the UK Government on these matters, nor made any such assessment, as we do not support the building of new nuclear power stations under current technologies. New nuclear comes at a very high cost and creates long-term radioactive waste liabilities.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether its policy presumption against new nuclear power generation extends to private-wire micro-reactors constructed entirely on private commercial land to directly power data centres without connecting to the national grid, and what devolved powers it could use to intervene in such developments.
Answer
The Scottish Government opposes the construction of new nuclear power stations under current technologies, and this position applies to any variation of conventional nuclear fission technology.
Decisions on whether new power stations may be developed in Scotland are devolved. Consent from Scottish Ministers is required under the Electricity Act 1989 for certain electricity works including electricity generating stations with a capacity greater than 50MW. Applications for development not meeting the criteria for consideration under the Electricity Act 1989 are considered under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended, and are primarily a matter for the relevant planning authority.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of international data regarding automated harm reduction kiosks such as those deployed in Ohio, USA and whether it will evaluate the feasibility of deploying similar 24/7, low-barrier vending machines in Scotland to distribute naloxone and rapid adulterant testing strips.
Answer
To date the Scottish Government has not carried out any assessment of the international data regarding automated harm reduction kiosks.
We remain committed to exploring any evidence-based harm reduction measure which will help us to reduce drug-related harms and save lives. We are aware of different methods of IEP distribution across the world designed to suit their localities and encourage local areas to consider what would best suit their area.
If a local area has 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.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what national guidance or training it is providing to third-sector organisations, such as the Scottish Drugs Forum, to educate drug users on the limitations of test strips, specifically addressing the risks of false negatives and the "chocolate chip cookie effect", where a contaminant is unevenly distributed within a batch.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not provide a specific national training programme to third-sector organisations on the use of drug testing strips. However, we work closely with a range of partners, including Scottish Drugs Forum, Public Health Scotland, and local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to support the provision of evidence-based harm reduction information and advice.
The Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) website – coordinated by Public Health Scotland – includes information on the use of nitazene test strips, which highlights limitations. This information notes that the accuracy of test strips varies depending on the type and concentration of nitazene present, that not all nitazenes can be detected, and that a negative result does not guarantee that a substance is free from nitazenes.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of integrating the distribution of rapid testing strips, including those detecting fentanyl and nitazenes, into existing harm-reduction networks and needle exchanges.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to explore innovative drug harm reduction measures. We have not undertaken a formal national assessment of the clinical efficacy or cost-effectiveness of integrating rapid testing strips into existing harm reduction networks or injecting equipment provision services, however we are aware that nitazene test strips are available from some services in Scotland.
We are aware of both the potential benefits and limitations of rapid testing strips as harm reduction tools, including their role in supporting engagement and risk reduction, alongside recognised limitations relating to accuracy and false negative results. We are working with partners including Public Health Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland to consider the evidence and inform appropriate Scottish guidance.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland is no longer publicly accessible as an online archive resource.
Answer
Historic Environment Scotland maintains the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland. Due to digital security concerns, the Register webpage has been temporarily taken offline with the aim of restoring the site as soon as possible.
In the meantime, Register information remains publicly available through downloadable datasets on Historic Environment Scotland's Trove and Data Services platforms, including the dataset as it stood when the Register was paused in 2024. Enquiries about individual Register entries can also be made to Historic Environment Scotland.
I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to contact the member directly with more information.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Stephen Gethins on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what legal assessment it has made of its ability to direct SEPA to refuse environmental permits for a small modular reactor (SMR) development, where the relevant reactor design has successfully completed the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation’s Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process and been deemed safe at a UK level.
Answer
The Scottish Government has made no legal assessment of this matter. Our policy remains that we do not support the building of new nuclear power stations in Scotland using current nuclear fission technologies. This includes small modular reactors.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how its drug-checking strategy distinguishes between the threat of fentanyl and the rise of synthetic potent analogues, such as nitazenes, and what steps are being taken to ensure that distributed test strips match the reality of current street supply contaminants.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s approach to harm reduction is informed by current intelligence on emerging drug trends through Public Health Scotland’s Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) system. Current intelligence indicates that nitazenes are the most commonly detected new synthetic opioids in Scotland. Fentanyl (as an illicit substance) is not often detected in Scotland but is a widely used street term to refer to all synthetic opioids.
We are aware that nitazene test strips are available from some services in Scotland. We are working with partners including Public Health Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland to consider the evidence and inform appropriate Scottish guidance.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 21 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the feasibility of making rapid adulterant screening test strips available alongside naloxone at community fire stations and other civic safe access points.
Answer
To date there has been no specific consideration given to the feasibility of making rapid adulterant screening test strips available alongside naloxone at community fire stations or other civic safe access points.
We are aware of both the potential benefits and limitations of rapid testing strips as harm reduction tools, including their role in supporting engagement and risk reduction, alongside recognised limitations relating to accuracy and false negative results. We are working with partners including Public Health Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland to consider the evidence and inform appropriate Scottish guidance.
We remain committed to an evidence-based approach to harm reduction and to responding rapidly to changing drug trends, including through expanded naloxone provision and the development of drug-checking services.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to commission a feasibility study on the restoration of Holyrood Abbey as a national memorial chapel to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and whether it will submit the findings of any such study to the Scotland Legacy Group to inform its recommendations for a permanent memorial in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no plans to commission a feasibility study around the restoration of Holyrood Abbey as a national memorial chapel.
Holyrood Abbey is a Property-in-Care managed by Historic Environment Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers. The Properties-in-Care are part of the national estate of historic monuments and sites that are cared for to ensure their long-term preservation and deliver public benefit.
Decisions regarding the conservation, maintenance and management of Holyrood Abbey are therefore made by Historic Environment Scotland.