Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-43316

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ask Historic Environment Scotland to engage with the interim liquidator of Ballantine Castings Ltd, Johnston Carmichael LLP, to ensure that the foundry's proprietary pattern archive of around 250,000 designs, ranging from manhole covers and bollards to ornate railings and lampposts, is safeguarded for the nation.

Question reference: S6W-43152

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what social value percentage weighting will be applied to bids for phase three of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3).

Phase 3 of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3) is delivered as a capital grant scheme and does not apply a single standalone social value percentage weighting.

Applications are assessed against four published criteria:

Financial
Deliverability
Market Development - Business and Economy
Wider Community and Decarbonisation Benefit

Social value considerations are embedded within the assessment framework across these criteria.

Full details of the assessment criteria and weighting are set out in the scheme guidance available at: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/scottish-zero-emission-bus-challenge-fund/.

Question reference: S6W-43154

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the ongoing investigation by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre in relation to “kill switches” in Chinese-manufactured buses, and how this has informed the design of the procurement regime of phase three of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3).

Vehicle safety and standards are reserved matters and fall under the responsibility of the UK Government and the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA). The Scottish Government is not responsible for, nor directly involved in, the investigation or regulation of such matters.

The Scottish Government has not received any formal notification from the UK Government or the National Cyber Security Centre regarding an investigation into these issues. Should relevant information or findings be made available by the UK authorities, the Scottish Government would consider these as appropriate.

Phase three of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3) is delivered as a grant award in accordance with public sector grant-making rules and does not constitute a procurement exercise under Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations. Successful applicants are responsible for undertaking their own competitive processes with suppliers in line with applicable legislation. As a result, the design of the ScotZEB3 scheme has not been informed by any assessment into these matters.

Question reference: S6W-43153

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding phase three of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3), whether it has instructed Transport Scotland to disregard any tenders from any specific non-treaty state suppliers, as defined by s19(3)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023.

ScotZEB3 operates as a capital grant subsidy scheme and, as such, the Procurement Act 2023 does not apply.

Awards under ScotZEB3 must comply with the UK subsidy control regime, including the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The scheme is required to operate in a manner that is non-discriminatory and consistent with the subsidy control principles

Applications are assessed solely against the published eligibility and scoring criteria set out in the scheme guidance: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ScotZEB3-Guidance-document-1.pdf.

Successful applicants are responsible for running their own competitive processes with suppliers.

Question reference: S6W-43301

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Cessnock and Kinning Park bridges over the M8, which were partially dismantled in July 2024 and scheduled to reopen in December 2024, will now reopen.

Question reference: S6W-42974

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to children on CAMHS waiting lists who risk ageing out of being eligible for treatment prior to receiving a diagnosis.

We continue to see sustained progress on waiting times for CAMHS. The 18-week CAMHS standard has been met throughout the last year, with 91.5% of children and young people starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral, reflecting the commitment and hard work of the CAMHS workforce.

But we know there is more to do. Some young people and families are still waiting too long. We continue to work closely with all Boards, providing enhanced support where performance needs to improve, ensuring Boards have robust improvement plans in place to deliver results.

Our CAMHS Service specification, published in 2020, highlights that all children and young people should receive support that is appropriate to their individual needs. For many children and young people, such support is likely to be community based, and should be easily and quickly accessible.

That is why we continue to invest in community based mental health supports and services, including providing baselined funding of £15m per year in 2025-26. These services focus on prevention, early intervention, and promoting positive mental health, and offers an alternative to CAMHS where appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-43210

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the programme to build three Fleet Solid Support (FFS) ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is facing early disruption due to a cash flow shortage at Liberty Steel Dalzell in Motherwell, which has left the company unable to purchase steel slab to start production, despite the order to supply 34,000 tonnes of rolled steel plates for the FSS programme, and whether it will engage with Sir David Murray about his reported interest in acquiring the Dalzell Plate Mill with government support.

Question reference: S6W-43076

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the development of an updated National Performance Framework.

We are making good progress on the National Performance Framework (NPF) reform project.

The most recent update to Parliament was 28 November 2025, in response to the Social Justice and Social Security committee’s request for evidence to stage 1 of the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill. [Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill].

We are currently concluding phase two which will make proposals for change and improvement. In phase three we intend to work with partners and stakeholders, up to the pre-election period, to develop these proposals further and we will write to Parliament with further details soon.

We aim to launch the reformed framework in the new parliamentary session following the 2026 Scottish election.

Question reference: S6W-42930

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress NHS Scotland has made to meet its target of using renewable heating systems for all NHS-owned buildings by 2038.

In March 2025, NHS Orkney became the first Health Board to complete the installation of renewable heating in all of its buildings.

The top 20 emitting NHS sites produced more than 60% of NHS Scotland’s total building energy emissions in 2024-25. NHS efforts are focussed on these highest emitting sites which have the potential to act as catalysts for the development of district heat networks.

Health boards are developing site specific decarbonisation plans for the most energy intensive acute hospital campuses. This includes the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, the Edinburgh Bioquarter and the Foresterhill site in Aberdeen. These three sites alone account for 22% of NHS heat and power emissions.

A Prior Information Notice (PIN) was published for the provision of a low/zero carbon Heat Purchase Agreement for the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and surrounding NHS facilities on 18 December 2025 and is available on the Public Contracts Scotland website.

Decarbonising the heating of NHS hospitals is likely to result in an increase in electricity demand (due to the use of heat pumps). Reducing electricity usage is a key enabling action to prepare for renewable heating as it reduces the need for local electricity grid enforcement and limits overall energy bills, making renewable heating more affordable. NHS electricity consumption decreased by 6.2% between 2020/21 and 2024/25 (452,413,000 kWh to 424,163,000 kWh).

A dynamic purchasing system for Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) was launched by NHS National Procurement on 1 August 2025. PINs covering private wire PPAs have also been issued by NHS National Procurement to assess the market’s ability to supply renewable electricity directly to major NHS sites through private connections. Securing PPAs will result in increased supplies of renewable electricity and reduce the costs of electrified heat which can be a barrier to moving to renewable heating.

Further information is available in the NHS Scotland - climate emergency and sustainability: annual report 2025 - gov.scot.

Question reference: S6W-42931

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS Scotland in relation to utilising its greenspaces, parks and woodlands to improve patients' mental health through nature immersion.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting NHS Scotland to improve patients’ mental health through a range of different resources, including the utilisation of greenspaces.

We are supporting NHS Boards – in their role as ‘Anchor institutions’ within their communities - to increase use and disposal of their land and assets for community benefit, including the use of green space within their estates.

On 17 June 2025, the Scottish Government and COSLA published the Population Health Framework (PHF), which sets out a whole-system, cross-government and cross-sector approach to improving population health and reducing inequalities over the next decade. The Framework builds on existing action in Scottish Government, including the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.

Among the PHF’s 30 actions is the development of a National Social Prescribing Framework for Scotland. This includes the provision of referral links to health and wellbeing support in local communities, including a wide range of activities in nature. The Scottish Government has committed to strengthening access and ensured sustainability of good quality public and green spaces, green networks, recreational spaces, play and sports amenities. This supports improving physical and mental health, creates healthy and sustainable places by working in and with communities and supports our response to climate change.

Furthermore, we continue to engage with organisations such as Trellis, who provide therapeutic horticulture to improve physical and mental health, while offering a range of additional services including peer support, healthy living activities, community development, and independent advocacy.

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