Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S7W-03584

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 2 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have applied to the Scottish Welfare Fund for a crisis grant in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S7W-03809

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to any additional funding and specific timescales for reducing ADHD assessment and treatment waiting times across Scotland, and, if so, how much funding it will provide, what the timescale will be and what support will be available to people while they wait.

Question reference: S7W-03810

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure consistent access to NHS prescribing and shared care for people with an appropriate private ADHD diagnosis, regardless of where they live in Scotland, while maintaining the necessary clinical safeguards.

Question reference: S7W-03440

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a costed delivery plan and timetable for extending funded early learning and childcare (ELC) to children under three.

As set out in the Programme for Government in early September, we will publish and consult on a blueprint for a transformed childcare offer in 2027, focussing on what matters most to families. Given the scale of our ambition to transform childcare, it is only right we take the time to develop that blueprint and we will publish it for consultation next year. Decisions on future delivery and costs will be considered through the appropriate parliamentary and budgetary processes.

Question reference: S7W-03308

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of reports that NHS Lothian is unable to offer mammogram appointments in Edinburgh, and how it is working with NHS Lothian to ensure that local appointments for breast screening services can be offered to women in Edinburgh who require one.

The Scottish Government is aware that the NHS Lothian ‘Increased-Risk Breast Surveillance’ service for all eligible individuals has been relocated from Ardmillan House, Edinburgh to St John’s Hospital, Livingston.

Whilst this is an operational matter for NHS Lothian, the Scottish Government understand that this decision was driven by sustained growth in Edinburgh’s routine screening population (aged 50 to 70), which has increased by 10% since 2018 and exceeded the capacity Ardmillan House was originally designed to support. The Health Board undertook an assessment of patients booked in January 2026 which found that St John’s Hospital was more accessible for those travelling from Fife, West Lothian, South and West Edinburgh, and Midlothian, although longer public transport journeys were recognised for some residents of Central and North Edinburgh and East Lothian. As one of NHS Lothian’s three acute hospitals, St John’s provides a reasonable and equitable location for the service, with limited alternative options currently available.

The Scottish Government wants everyone accessing health services to be treated as close to home as clinically appropriate. Where travel is necessary, the Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to work collaboratively with transport providers to make suitable arrangements to ensure that the necessary treatment and services can be provided in a patient-centred way.

Question reference: S7W-03306

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it can provide regarding when local authorities and community groups will be able to access the recently announced Flood Resilience Fund.

In August 2026, we announced £15 million of new funding to enhance flood resilience in Scotland’s most vulnerable communities. The funding will support a range of measures, including community-led projects, nature-based solutions, improved flood data, and targeted local interventions. This investment forms part of our wider Flood Resilience Strategy to create a safer and more resilient Scotland.

The programme will include:

The creation of community-led small grants and funding for projects delivered through local authority and community partnerships.

Investment in blue-green infrastructure and nature-based solutions.

Support for measures to enhance the resilience and extend the lifespan of existing flood protection assets.

Funding for innovative projects to strengthen coastal resilience.

Following preparatory work during 2026-27, funding for local projects is expected to become available from 2027-28.

Question reference: S7W-03277

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government who regulates taxi fares, and what capacity ministers have to review or monitor price increases in this area.

Taxis and Private Hire Cars (PHCs) are licensed under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (“the 1982 Act”).

While the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament has responsibility for the overarching legislation, the day to day administration of the licensing regime is devolved to independent licensing authorities through the 1982 Act – in effect the 32 Scottish local authorities.

All licensing authorities have a duty under section 17 of the 1982 Act to fix the scales for fares and all other charges in connection with the hire of taxis in their area, and have a duty to review the resultant fare scales within 18 months of the scales coming into effect. These are matters for each licensing authority to determine.

While the Scottish Ministers do not have any specific functions in relation to the day to day operation of the Taxi/ PHC licensing regime in any given local authority area, we provide best practice guidance to inform and assist local licensing authorities in their independent decision making.

In 2023 the Scottish Government published updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities and Taxi and PHC operators on the licensing of Taxis and PHCs and their drivers. Chapter six of the best practice guidance includes information in relation to taxi fares.

Question reference: S7W-02677

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is provided to NHS boards to ensure that triaging accurately identifies and prioritises young people most in need of mental health support.

The CAMHS National Service Specification, published by the Scottish Government in 2020, sets the framework for CAMHS across Scotland, requiring NHS Boards to use clear, needs-based referral criteria to ensure consistent and equitable service delivery. Annex 1 of the Specification outlines the nationally agreed criteria for determining eligibility for specialist mental health support through CAMHS.

In addition, the CAMHS Waiting Times Standard Definitions and Scenarios document provides Boards with guidance on the application of the waiting times standard, including when the waiting time clock should start and stop, and which referrals fall within the scope of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Local Delivery Plan (LDP) Standard.

The NHS Scotland Waiting Times Guidance (2023) further supports Boards in the management of waiting lists and patient pathways, setting out expectations in relation to access, scheduling and the Treatment Time Guarantee.

Whilst these documents provide a robust national framework for consistent decision-making and service delivery, it is important to stress that decisions on referral acceptance, prioritisation and triage should be informed by clinical judgement, reflecting the individual needs, circumstances and risks of each child or young person.

Question reference: S7W-03256

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking with the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland) to address the reported backlog in registering Powers of Attorney.

Responsibility for registering and administering Power of Attorneys (PoA), lies with the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland) (OPG), which forms part of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS). The SCTS operates entirely independently of the Scottish Government, and all operational decisions are the responsibility of the SCTS Board under the leadership of the Lord President.

While the Scottish Government does not have a role in operational decision making, it continues to support SCTS through funding. The 2026–2027 Budget includes increased resource funding to help ease system pressures and support ongoing service improvement and modernisation. Decisions on any further funding, including for the continued development of systems and services such as those provided by the OPG, will fall to Parliament as part of any future spending considerations.

Question reference: S7F-00045

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.