The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-01206

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 July 2026

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.

Question reference: S7W-00761

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 22 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it is planning to ensure that young people will still be able to access low experience jobs despite the rise of AI.

Careers support is provided to school-age pupils through teaching in the curriculum, access to professional careers advisers, Developing the Young Workforce(DYW).and specialist additional support is available as required.

DYW, funded by the government, was set up specifically to connect young people with employers and experience the world of work. Activities include visits to and from employers, skills projects and challenges, work tasters and careers fairs. Careers support is also provided by colleges and universities to prepare students for their destination post-education.

Through our No One Left Behind approach, we are delivering an all-age employability offer across Scotland. Young people who are unemployed or economically inactive are eligible for support with provision designed locally, with input from a range of partners, including Skills Development Scotland, colleges, and third sector provision ensuring it reflects local labour market needs.

As set out in the Scottish budget, we are investing up to £90million in 2026-27 for the delivery of devolved employability services, ensuring people of all ages, including eligible young people, receive a tailored offer of support based on their needs and circumstances.

Young people who require ongoing or intensive support as they transition from secondary education towards a positive destination, can access tailored support to help them progress towards employment, or move into another positive destination, such as higher or further education, where that is more appropriate to their aspirations, including routes that build skills for evolving job roles.

Published in 2026, Scotland’s AI Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s five-year plan to harness the potential of AI to drive responsible and inclusive growth across our economy and make a positive difference at every level of society. In the Strategy’s first year, the Scottish Government will establish a Future Jobs panel to assess AI’s impact on workforce and to help guide national skills planning.

Question reference: S7W-00760

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 22 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it is planning to ensure the safety of jobs available for graduates in the ever-increasing world of AI.

The Scottish Government recognises the challenges facing graduates from changes in technology. Our 2026-27 Budget invests over £2.4bn in post school education and skills and reinforces our steadfast commitment to free education. The Scottish Government seeks to ensure Scotland has a strong, responsive skills system, as this is key to Scotland’s future.

Our investments in apprenticeships, careers support, Developing the Young Workforce and adult learning will strengthen pathways into and through employment. This budget supports learners to progress into and through work, helping address poverty and cost of living pressures.

This support is reflected in the statistics for positive destinations for graduates with 89% of 2023-24 UK graduates from Scottish universities in work or further study 15 months after graduation and 85.4% of 2023-24 College qualifiers went on to work or further study.

We want this close alignment with the skills employers to continue. The Scottish Government has introduced a new skills planning model, being developed with partners, to ensure the post-school education and skills system is more responsive to Scotland’s strategic skills priorities. Digital has been identified as an early area of focus within this model, reflecting current and emerging skills needs and its alignment with national policy priorities.

In parallel Scotland’s AI Strategy published in 2026, sets out the Scottish Government’s five-year plan to harness the potential of AI to drive responsible and inclusive growth across our economy and make a positive difference at every level of society. In the Strategy’s first year, the Scottish Government will establish a Future Jobs panel to assess AI’s impact on workforce and to help guide national skills planning.

Question reference: S7F-00020

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7W-00890

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding support available to people who experience two consecutive miscarriages, (a) what support is currently available, (b) how NHS boards are expected to implement it, (c) what monitoring is undertaken to assess compliance with national guidance, and (d) what assessment has been carried out regarding the consistent availability of support.

The Scottish Government Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland, published in February 2025, sets out a graded model of miscarriage care after one, two and three or more miscarriages and tasks NHS Boards with introducing this model of care in Early Pregnancy Services, backed by £1.5m funding to NHS Boards in 2025-26.

NHS Boards have been asked to assess what their service is delivering and report on their progress towards implementing the 34 actions/deliverables in the Framework. To assist with this, a monitoring framework including BRAG ratings of progress towards delivery to date was issued to NHS Boards on 24 March 2026. Responses are currently being analysed.

Question reference: S7W-00710

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, following the withdrawal of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate 100mg/1ml solution, to ensure that people with adrenal insufficiency have access to safe, rapid-use emergency hydrocortisone options, including alternative liquid products, the ACT-O-VIAL system and future prefilled or autoinjector delivery methods.

The supply of medicines, and the associated legislation, is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland is a member of the UK Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG). Following the discontinuation of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate 100mg/1ml solution, MSRG issued advice to prescribers to switch people to hydrocortisone sodium succinate 100mg powder for injection, where appropriate. People concerned about the additional steps required to prepare an emergency injection when using the above-noted powder formulation may wish to discuss with their clinician whether an alternative unlicensed hydrocortisone product would be appropriate for them. Work with the pharmaceutical industry to identify a longer-term solution continues.

Question reference: S7W-00739

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, following its withdrawal from the Home Office and National Crime Agency Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) Programme, how will it coordinate and gather intelligence with the rest of UK to tackle the increasing availability of synthetic opioids, which can be significantly more powerful than heroin.

As confirmed in the answer to S7W-00736 on 16 June 2026, the Scottish Government has not withdrawn from the Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme.

Reports from the WAND study have highlighted the difficulties in being able to detect the presence of synthetic opioids in wastewater due to their instability and because testing methods are not as developed as they are for other drugs.

Investments made in surveillance, like Scotland’s RADAR early warning system, are supporting the ability to identify and respond to new and emerging threats such as dangerous synthetic opioids. The RADAR system has played a pivotal role in the public health response to nitazene-linked drug harm clusters by identifying trends and sharing information. Work is also progressing to deliver drug checking services which will also help to provide a fuller surveillance picture and better identification of emerging trends and new drugs.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials engage routinely with counterparts in the UK Government and the other Devolved Administrations in response to the shared threat posed by the increasing prevalence of synthetic substances.

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.

Question reference: S7W-00740

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the number of deaths involving synthetic opioids in Scotland reaching the highest level on record last year, whether any specific ministerial meetings have been held to discuss the threat posed by these substances and their increasing availability in Scotland.

The increased prevalence of new synthetic substances is of real concern, not only in Scotland but across the whole of the UK. We are working closely with partners to communicate vital information and advice. We have been able to identify and respond to new and emerging threats such as dangerous synthetic opioids thanks to the investments made in surveillance like our RADAR early warning system.

Ministers routinely meet with a range of stakeholders to discuss the ongoing threat of synthetic substances. Later this month, Public Health Scotland will host a summit with system leaders (including Scottish Ministers, COSLA and representatives from NHS Boards, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, justice leaders and those with lived and living experience) to address the changing drugs landscape in Scotland and concerning trends in drug related harms.

In addition, a virtual meeting of all UK drugs ministers is scheduled for 24 June 2026. Scottish Ministers have requested that the topic of synthetic opioids be included on the agenda for discussion.

Question reference: S7W-00738

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the National Crime Agency's determination that there are currently no up-to-date national estimates of drug consumption in Scotland, and for what reason it has withdrawn from the Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme, which is intended to provide such information.

As confirmed in the answer to S7W-00736 on 16 June 2026, the Scottish Government has not withdrawn from the Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme.

The latest WAND programme report published by the Home Office – covering a period when Scottish sites were included – did not provide a national estimate of drug consumption for Scotland. The report is available here - Wastewater analysis - estimating drug consumption.

Public Health Scotland do publish statistics relating to drug prevalence in Scotland, the last publication was in March 2026 - Estimated prevalence of opioid dependence in Scotland.

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.

Question reference: S7W-00736

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has withdrawn from the Home Office and National Crime Agency Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme and, if so, for what reason.

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