Parliamentary questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton
2,700 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the uptake of the £225 per week care experienced bursary for young people, including whether it is acting as an incentive to leave school early.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: I am proud that we continue to provide Care Experienced students with unparalleled support through the Care Experienced Bursary (CEB).The Scottish Government gather data on the uptake of the CEB in both Further and Higher Education each Academic Year. The &po…
12 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that some Edinburgh Western constituents are yet to receive their Winter Heating Payments and have been told that they may need to wait until February to get them in their accounts, what the reasons are for some payments not having been allocated.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Winter Heating Payment is an automatic payment made during the winter months to help eligible people with heating costs.It replaced the UK Government’s Cold Weather Payment for people in Scotland and is paid regardless of temperature – unlike the …
11 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to work with other UK nations to develop a consistent approach to the confirmation process in Scotland, equivalent to probate in England, for executors to get authority to manage and distribute a deceased person's estate, in light of reported concerns from residents in …
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scots law of succession and executry differs from the law elsewhere in the UK and this is reflected in the judicial process of obtaining a grant of confirmation. The Scottish Government has no current plans to work with other UK nations to reform the conf…
11 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the confirmation process for executors to get authority to manage and distribute a deceased person's estate.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Law Commission recently started a review of Scots executry law, which includes the need to seek confirmation. The project may review, amongst others, whether confirmation should continue to be a judicial process and whether some or all of the exe…
10 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure meaningful and consistent involvement of (a) Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT), (b) local midwives and (c) families in each stage of the independent review of maternity services in Caithness.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42499 on 29 December 2025. 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-committ…
10 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a timetable for the independent review of maternity services in Caithness, including key milestones, community engagement sessions and the anticipated publication date for the final report.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce will look at the scope of a national review of maternity services based on the emerging themes and outcomes of the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Inspections of Maternity Units across Scotland, and any other area…
10 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the independent review of maternity services in Caithness will be conducted separately from the new Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, and whether the review will be chaired by an individual who is fully independent of both NHS Highland and the Scottish Government.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42499 on 29 December 2025. 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-committ…
3 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing publicly accessible bleed control kits in high-footfall locations, as is done with defibrillators, to help save the lives of victims of knife crime or other traumatic injuries.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: We do not currently have a plan to make bleed kits available nationally across Scotland but we encourage the public to focus on calling the emergency services for assistance in the case of an emergency and encourage members of the public, including young peop…
27 Nov 2025 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
26 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce a legal requirement for kitchen knives to be security-tagged or kept behind the counter in retail premises, as is done with other products that could be used as weapons.
Answer · Angela Constance: Existing laws already regulate the sale of dangerous bladed items. We continue to work closely with Police Scotland, local authorities and retailers to reduce knife related harm and to support the enforcement of these safeguards, including age restriction req…
26 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds any statistics on the number of knives stolen from retail outlets, and if so, whether it will provide the most recent figures available.
Answer · Angela Constance: This information is not held centrally.The data the Scottish Government receive from Police Scotland on recorded crime is a simple count of recorded crimes by crime type and does not contain any detail on the specifics of each crime e.g. the type of item stol…
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support is available for people with (a) Down’s syndrome and (b) other disabilities.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the human rights of disabled people are protected and respected, and that they are empowered to live their lives, the same as everyone else.We are putting disabled people at the heart of our priorities, in…
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its proposed Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government remains committed to developing the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill and will publish draft provisions as the next step.
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it will provide to NHS boards to support increased testing for people who may have been affected by exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) as a result of their mother using the drug during pregnancy.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has not provided any specific funding to NHS boards to support testing for people who may have been affected by exposure to diethylstilbestrol.Cervical screening is offered to women who live in Scotland and are aged between 25 and 64 y…
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS England, NHS Wales and HSC Northern Ireland in relation to a joint response to evidence regarding the risks for people affected by exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) as a result of their mother using the drug during pregnancy.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government has the utmost sympathy for the women who may have been harmed by stilbestrol. However, Scottish Ministers have had no discussions with NHS England, NHS Wales and HSC Northern Ireland on this issue as the regulation for the licensing, …
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take with the NHS to support people who may have been affected by exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) as a result of their mother using the drug during pregnancy, and how it plans to test any people exposed to DES in this way for any potential health issues resulting…
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government has the utmost sympathy for women who were prescribed diethylstilbestrol (DES) and the impact it may have had on them and their families.The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not currently recommend increased screening for …
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that accessible public toilets are able to be used by people with a stoma.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to improving inclusion and accessibility for everyone who needs to use public toilets. To achieve this, we are investing £10 million through the Changing Places Toilets Scotland Fund, launched in August 2025, to deli…
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to raise awareness of endometriosis in schools.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Endometriosis is a priority in the Women’s Health Plan and will continue to be so. The ongoing action we will take to support those living with endometriosis will be set out in the next phase of the Plan, which is expected to be published in January 202…
25 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase awareness of endometriosis among clinicians in all departments.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis can access the best possible care and support.Endometriosis is a priority in the Women’s Health Plan and will continue to be so. Wide ranging progress, including action to …
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many bed days have been lost in each year since 2020 due to patients being unable to be discharged while waiting for a new care package after their existing package was cancelled.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The information requested is not held centrally.
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the automatic cancellation of care packages after short hospital admissions is consistent with best practice; whether this is the current practice, and, if so, whether it plans to end this practice.
Answer · Tom Arthur: It is the responsibility of local authorities to have in place clear arrangements for the management and monitoring of care packages. Decisions about individual cases are for local authorities to make, within the requirements of the law.S12A of the Social Wor…
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the highest number of times is that an individual adult social care service user has had their care package cancelled and subsequently reassigned in a single year, since 2020.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The information requested is not held centrally.
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are in place to ensure continuity of care for social care service users whose care package is cancelled during hospital admissions, and how these measures are monitored.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government recognises the value of social care support to all who require additional support in living independently at home or in the community and appreciate the concerns that may arise following changes to this support.Under the Social Work (S…
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many adult social care packages have been (a) initiated and (b) cancelled within each (i) NHS board and (ii) local authority area in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom Arthur: (a) Data on the number of adult social care packages which have been initiated is not held centrally.Numbers of new personal care clients were previously collected and published annually until 2022-23. Data was based on one quarter of data (January to March),…
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many adult social care packages have been cancelled following a hospital admission of (a) fewer than three days, (b) three to seven days and (c) more than seven days in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Information on the cancellation of adult social care packages is not held centrally.
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of frequent cancellation and reassignment of care packages on social care workforce stability, retention and continuity of carers for service users.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government values our dedicated, caring and professional social care workforce.The Scottish Government has not made any assessments on the impact of any issues involving care packages on the social care workforce. Whilst the Scottish Government h…
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what the average number of calls made by a patient has been before securing access to medical care in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not currently hold information about how many calls are made on average by a patient before securing access to medical care. The telephony systems currently used by most GP practices do not provide such data.As part of our recent …
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients who were not referred for care by the NHS 24 111 service subsequently required emergency treatment in each of the last five years.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether data on the average time a patient has spent on a trolley in emergency departments is published routinely by NHS boards, and if this is not the case, whether it will commit to doing so.
Answer · Neil Gray: As detailed in response to S6W-41997 on 9 December 2025, A&E activity data published by Public Health Scotland does not differentiate patients who were treated on trolleys. It is important to highlight that patients frequently spend time in a trolleyed ar…
18 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how long on average patients have spent on a trolley in emergency departments in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. A&E activity data is collected and published by Public Health Scotland. These statistics show the number of people attending A&E services, how long they are waiting and performa…