Alex Cole-Hamilton

16 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01053 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, when the National CLD Workforce Survey will be completed and its findings made available to view.

16 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01050 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, when the CLD Workforce Plan will be completed and published.

15 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01042 by Kirsten Oswald on 7 July 2026, regarding the number of incidents involving possession of a knife or bladed article that have been recorded in schools in each of the last five years, whether it will provide a breakdown of these figures by lo…

8 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect and strengthen additional learning provision for deaf children and young people, including access to specialist teachers, communication support and other educational services, in light of reported concerns regarding reductions in local authority resour…

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Institute of Structural Engineers to discuss the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings and the steps required to mitigate damage.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Scottish Government funded the Institution of Structural Engineers to develop guidance on the identification, assessment and remediation of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in residential properties. Scottish Government officials met with members…

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its position on reported calls for the introduction of a national fund to help address the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings on university campuses.

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any guidance has been published for Scottish universities on the steps they can take to address the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings on their campuses. 

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the impact on staff and students of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in university buildings and campuses.

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in  buildings on the Edinburgh Napier University Merchiston Campus, what assessment it has made of the extent of the presence of RAAC in buildings on campuses of other Scottish universities. 

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group has not met since November 2024.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group was established on a limited term basis to support the co-ordination of data collection and information sharing about RAAC across the public sector estate in Scotland. The aims and o…

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding whether the responsibility for addressing the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) rests with a building owner in the same way as responsibility for addressing other building issues.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government position on the responsibility for addressing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has not changed. RAAC is primarily a building maintenance issue and responsibility lies with the owner of the building.

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on Merchiston Castle that the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) on the Edinburgh Napier Merchiston Campus could have.

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Edinburgh Napier University regarding the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings on its Merchiston Campus.

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it first became aware that reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was present in buildings on Edinburgh Napier University’s Merchiston Campus.

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding each local authority in Scotland has been provided to fund their community police force. 

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further funding can be devolved to local authorities to enable an increase in the provision of funding towards the community policing fund.

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding is available to local authorities to enable them to increase their budget for community police officers.

7 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a Scottish statutory instrument to devolve powers to local authorities for determining the location and deployment of speed cameras and speed calming measures within local areas.

6 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment of expansion of childcare provision for children from nine months old, (a) whether this will this be subject to a phased introduction and (b) when will two-year-olds receive expanded provision.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government has committed to expanding childcare support to children from nine months through to the end of primary school over the course of this Parliament. We are at the early stages of developing our plans for expansion and, as this progresses…

24 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding reported long waiting times for callers to the 101 non-emergency telephone service, and what action is being taken to reduce waiting times and improve public access to this service.

Answer · Neil Gray: Decisions on how resources are deployed, including the operation of contact, command and control services, are matters for the Chief Constable, reflecting the operational independence of policing. Police Scotland has been very clear that 101 is a non-emergenc…

23 Jun 2026 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

22 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with British Council Scotland regarding expanding opportunities for international mobility for Scottish learners, students, apprentices and education staff.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The British Council is set to become the National Agency for Erasmus+ in the UK.The Erasmus+ Programme is the European Union’s flagship funding programme for education, training, youth and sport. With a budget of approximately 26 billion, it allows indi…

22 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any priority countries or regions for educational collaboration involving British Council Scotland and, if so, what these are.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Under current international development priorities, Scottish Government has identified Pakistan and Malawi as key countries for collaboration with British Council. Notably through Scotland Pakistan Scholarships for Young Women and Girls 2025 | British Council…

22 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role it anticipates that British Council Scotland will play in supporting Scotland's international education objectives during the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government fulfilled a Programme for Government commitment by publishing its first International Education Strategy (IES) on 7 February 2024. British Council Scotland plays an important role in supporting its implementation as a member of the Int…

16 Jun 2026 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

12 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many youth workers (a) were employed in 2016 and b) are currently employed.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Youth work falls within the scope of The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. This regulation, in effect, requires local authorities to identify need and plan provision of Community Learning and Development (CLD) in…

12 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many local authority-operated youth a) clubs and b) centres have permanently closed since 1 April 2016.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01050 on 13 July 2026. 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/…

12 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authority-operated youth a) clubs and b) centres were in operation on 1 April 2016 and how many are currently in operation.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Youth work falls within the scope of The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. This regulation, in effect, requires local authorities to identify need and plan provision of Community Learning and Development in their…

12 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of vandalism by under-18s have been recorded in each local authority area, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government published the annual Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2025-26 statistical bulletin on 23 June 2026. The publication provides information on crimes and offences recorded by the police across Scotland, including breakdowns by crime type and l…

12 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of community policing on levels of antisocial behaviour.

Answer · Kirsten Oswald: The Government recognise that policing is an important part of tackling antisocial behaviour. To this end, the Strategic Police Priorities set out the importance of the police maintaining relationships and engaging with local communities. Under the Police and…