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: S6W-41730

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care last met the Royal College of Midwives; whether the organisation raised any concerns about staffing, and, if so, what action has been taken as a result.

Question reference: S6W-41621

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged (a) 65 to 74, (b) 75 to 84, (c) 85 to 94 and (d) over 95 have waited at A&E for 12 hours or more in each month since January 2025.

Question reference: S6W-41458

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given consideration to improving the situation of people who work on zero-hour contracts through enhanced worker benefits, better job stability or a higher minimum wage.

The Scottish Government firmly opposes the inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. We support the overall ambitions of the UK Government’s Employment Rights Bill and welcome changes being brought forward to strengthen workers’ rights, including the measures providing protections for workers on zero hours or low hours contracts. The gains this legislation will make for workers’ rights must be protected, and that is why we continue to advocate for the devolution of employment powers as the best way to protect workers’ rights in Scotland from any future UK Government actions that might remove these protections.

In the absence of devolved employment powers, Fair Work First criteria in procurement and grants, alongside provision of grant funding to the Real Living Wage accreditation scheme, are the tools we use to raise employment standards in Scotland. Since implementing more stringent grant conditionality from July 2023, requiring payment of at least the Real Living Wage and provision of appropriate channels for effective workers voice, between 1 July 2023 and 31 March 2025 it is estimated that over £6 billion in public sector grants was awarded with Fair Work First criteria attached. The number of accredited Living Wage employers is up from 14 in 2014 to over 3,900 in 2025, with at least 72,000 workers in Scotland getting a pay rise resulting from accreditation.

Question reference: S6W-41457

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussion it has had with the UK Government regarding the concentration of gambling advertising in areas of deprivation in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not had any recent discussions with the UK Government regarding the concentration of gambling advertising in areas of deprivation in Scotland.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) administer advertisement rules which are designed to ensure gambling advertising is responsible, supported by Ofcom for broadcast gambling adverts, and the Gambling Commission for non-broadcast gambling adverts.

The Scottish Government is working closely with the UK Government (and Welsh Government) over the distribution of the Gambling Levy, to ensure there are funds available to develop a comprehensive approach to gambling prevention, early intervention and support in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-04434

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-41735

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that every maternity ward properly records serious birth tears and the number of women who experience significant blood loss while giving birth.

Question reference: S6W-41736

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many new midwives and nurses have been recruited at maternity units in each year since 2020-21.

Question reference: S6W-41733

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints Healthcare Improvement Scotland has received about maternity care provided by maternity units in each year since 2020-21, broken down by maternity unit.

Question reference: S6W-41731

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many inspections Healthcare Improvement Scotland has made of maternity units in each year since 2020-21, broken down by (a) maternity unit and (b) whether these were announced or unannounced visits.

Question reference: S6W-41734

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it took to support NHS Lothian following the NHS board’s whistleblowing investigation into maternity care at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in December 2024.