Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 29 October 2025.
James Dornan
Scottish National Party
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards delivering the Clyde mission, including what its impact has been on the local economy and job creation. (S6O-05065)
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
We are providing support to the Clyde mission in three main ways. First, the Clyde mission fund provided £13 million towards a range of projects that have created and sustained more than 600 jobs, supported more than 250 businesses and levered more than £8 million in further funding. Those projects include Renfrewshire active travel.
We have also committed £1.5 million to identify priority actions and locations for investment, with work already under way by the Glasgow city region team. The team is also developing plans for the heat decarbonisation fund, which is expected to launch later this year and to which we have committed £25 million.
James Dornan
Scottish National Party
I welcome the progress outlined by the Deputy First Minister, but can she say more about how the Clyde mission is helping to ensure that new economic opportunities along the Clyde are inclusive and benefit local communities, particularly in areas that have historically faced economic disadvantage?
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
The master plan work that is under way will further identify inclusive economic opportunities along the Clyde. That will be supported through the £25 million heat decarbonisation fund contributing up to 50 per cent of total project costs to ensure tangible investment in local communities. The fund application process that is being developed by Glasgow city region will also take into account community benefits such as the number of jobs that are created for local residents and linkages to local employability programmes and community-led projects, in order to maximise the economic impact of the Clyde mission.
Liam McArthur
Liberal Democrat
That concludes portfolio questions on Deputy First Minister responsibilities, economy and Gaelic.
There will be a brief pause before we move to the next portfolio to allow members on the front benches to change over.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
