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-02816

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the establishment of a clear point of contact within government for philanthropists and charitable foundations wishing to work in partnership with it, similar to the model used by the UK Government's Office for the Impact Economy.

Question reference: S7W-02815

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with charitable funders regarding the reported pressures that charities are facing as public finances tighten, and whether it will consider the role that philanthropic funding could play alongside public funding to help sustain vital community organisations.

Question reference: S7W-02813

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the UK Government's strategy for England, Our place to give: a plan for growing place-based philanthropy, and whether it has identified any approaches within that strategy that could inform collaboration between government, philanthropy and civil society in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02817

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will convene a roundtable with philanthropists, charitable foundations and representatives of the wider third sector to consider how Scotland can encourage greater philanthropic giving and develop opportunities for government and philanthropy to work together on shared priorities.

Question reference: S7W-02811

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what programmes it has to respond to the reported decline in children's online safety.

Question reference: S7W-02814

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, following the publication of the UK Government's strategy for England, Our place to give: a plan for growing place-based philanthropy, whether it will consider developing a strategy for Scotland to encourage philanthropy and strengthen the relationship between government, charitable funders and philanthropists.

Question reference: S7W-02812

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with philanthropic foundations and individual philanthropists regarding the role that philanthropy can play in supporting charities and communities across Scotland.

Question reference: S7F-00030

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7W-02309

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that nearly 90% of sewage spills in Scotland may be illegal.

Environmental performance is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and this would be a matter for them to investigate.

Scottish Water’s recently published annual report and accounts for 2025-26 reported that environmental pollution incidents were reduced from 199 in 2024-25 to 191 in 2025-26. There were only two serious environmental pollution incidents in 2025-26, down from four in 2024-25.

Question reference: S7W-02310

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether, for the purposes of assessing the legality of sewage overflows, it will publish a definition of "heavy rainfall".

Officials are working with Environmental Standards Scotland to look at the need for a definition taking into account current and future policies and guidance.

As the member is aware from my answers to his previous questions (most recently S7W-00613 on 8 June 2026), this work is on-going and is not at a point that it can be shared with Parliament. It is important that the work considers fully the consequences of any policy changes given the potential costs falling to customers of the investment consequences.

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/written-questions-and-answers.