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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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Alex Cole-Hamilton

Scottish Liberal Democrats

MSP for Edinburgh Western (Constituency) 2016 - present day

About Alex Cole-Hamilton

Contact details

Contact online

X (previously known as Twitter): @agcolehamilton

Facebook: Alex's facebook

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5821
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

151 St John's Road
Corstorphine
Edinburgh
EH12 7SD

Phone: 0131 334 1814
Text relay calls welcome.

Find out when the MSP's surgery times are on their website.

Committees

Alex is a member of 1 committee

Cross-party groups

Alex is a member of 11 cross-party groups

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Bangladesh

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Challenging Racial and Religious Prejudice

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Chronic Pain

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Diabetes

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Europe

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Housing

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Improving Scotland’s Health

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Long Covid

Co-Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Tibet

Member

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Ukraine

Deputy Convener

Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Volunteering

Member

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Alex does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Alex has 6 party roles

Party Leader

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Party Spokesperson on External Affairs

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Party Spokesperson on Health

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Party Spokesperson on Social Care

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Party Spokesperson on the Constitution

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Party Spokesperson on the Drugs Emergency

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Previous roles

Alex has had 8 previous roles

Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.

06 May 2021 - 27 August 2021

Party Spokesperson on Sport

Scottish Liberal Democrats

29 May 2016 - 04 May 2021

Party Spokesperson on Health

Scottish Liberal Democrats

08 November 2016 - 04 May 2021

Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee

Substitute Member

06 February 2019 - 04 May 2021

Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints

Member

29 September 2016 - 04 May 2021

Equalities and Human Rights Committee

Deputy Convener

08 June 2016 - 04 May 2021

Health and Sport Committee

Member

16 June 2016 - 29 September 2016

Equal Opportunities Committee

Deputy Convener

08 June 2016 - 16 June 2016

Equal Opportunities Committee

Member

Register of interests

Alex's register of interests

MSPs must provide details of their financial interests in the Register of Interests. They make an initial statement on becoming or being returned as an MSP. This is then updated with any changes they provide.

Here is the register for Alex Cole-Hamilton. The date of their initial statement was 03 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

No registrable interests

Gifts

On 12 September 2023 I attended Hampden Park Stadium for the Scotland vs England friendly match as a guest of Channel 4 Television Corporation (a broadcasting company of 124 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2TX). The ticket and associated hospitality amounted to a total of £478. [Registered 4 October 2023]

On 9 August 2023, I was a guest of the RAF (25 Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 1NZ) at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The value of the hospitality received was £475. [Registered 28 September 2023]

On 26 August 2022, my wife and I were guests of the RAF at a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Limited, 1-3 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QB). The estimated value of the hospitality received was £773. [Registered 20 September 2022]

Overseas visits

No registrable interests

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

Until 29 August 2022, I sublet part of my own property in Edinburgh through online holiday property website Airbnb. This yielded a gross annual income of between £5,001 and £10,000. Between 29 August 2022 and 4 May 2023, I used this part of my property to accommodate a person under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, for which I received £350 a month as a “thank you” payment. Since the departure of my Ukrainian guest on 4 May 2023, I have relisted this part of my property on Airbnb and it will yield a gross annual income of between £5,0001 and £10,000 per annum. [Amended interest 22 September 2022, Amended interest 11 May 2023]

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

I was formerly a Convener and Director of Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights).

On 5 February 2022, I was a guest of Scottish Rugby to the Calcutta cup at Murrayfield, they provided hospitality and 2 match tickets to myself and my guest, followed by dinner afterwards. SRU have stated that the estimated value was £1,000 per person. I do not consider that this meets the prejudice test. [Registered 22 February 2022]

On 22 August 2024 a family member and I were guests of the Royal Navy for dinner on the Royal Yacht Britannia and then transported by coach to the Royal Military Tattoo. The combined value of the hospitality was £1520. [Registered 23 September 2024]

Recent Activity

What was said

What Alex Cole-Hamilton has said in Parliament

These are the official transcripts of what was said by this MSP in the chamber and at committee meetings. You'll find the topic discussed and how many times this MSP has contributed to the discussion.

Chamber meeting date: 15 May 2025

Social Care (Availability of Care Homes)

Alex Cole-Hamilton: "It is not just people such as Nino who are being denied precious time with their loved ones, because, on any given night, 2,000 Scots are stuck in hospital in this country. They are well enough to leave but they cannot. Why…

Chamber meeting date: 15 May 2025

Scotland in Today’s Europe

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD): "The Liberal Democrats will support today’s Government motion…

Chamber meeting date: 14 May 2025

Care Sector (Impact of United Kingdom Government Decisions)

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD): "On a note of consensus, I absolutely agree that some of the best care in our country is provided by care workers who have chosen to settle here from overseas…

Chamber meeting date: 13 May 2025

Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD): "I congratulate my friend Liam McArthur and everyone who has worked with him to get us to this point. I am proud to add my voice in support of the bill. When my mother was growing up in Canada in the 1960s, she had a school friend called Merry…

Chamber meeting date: 8 May 2025

Victory in Europe Day (80th Anniversary)

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD): "Today, we commemorate the moment when, 80 years ago, the high command of the allied forces received the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich…

Votes

How Alex Cole-Hamilton has voted in Parliament

Find out how Alex Cole-Hamilton has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-17539

Scotland in Today’s Europe

Submitted by: Angus Robertson, Edinburgh Central, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Supported by: Jamie Hepburn
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, May 15, 2025

Result 70 for, 45 against, 0 abstained, 13 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-17539.1

Scotland in Today’s Europe

Submitted by: Neil Bibby, West Scotland, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Supported by: Foysol Choudhury
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, May 15, 2025

Result 15 for, 96 against, 3 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP abstained

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17539.4

Scotland in Today’s Europe

Submitted by: Stephen Kerr, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, May 15, 2025

Result 27 for, 87 against, 0 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17525

Protecting Scotland’s Oil and Gas Industry

Submitted by: Douglas Lumsden, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Monday, May 12, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Result 61 for, 55 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-17525.3

Protecting Scotland’s Oil and Gas Industry

Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Supported by: Alasdair Allan
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Result 61 for, 56 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Passed

Motions

Questions

Questions Alex Cole-Hamilton has asked

These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.

Question ref. S6W-37431

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 7 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to provide additional training to newly qualified teachers on how to deal with violence in schools."

Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37301

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 6 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how much public money Scottish Enterprise has distributed to companies that have export licences permitting them to sell arms and/or other military technology in each of the last five years."

Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37302

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 6 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how much public money Scottish Enterprise has distributed to companies that have export licences permitting them to sell arms and/or other military technology to countries that are reported to be committing serious human rights abuses, in each of the last five years."

Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37307

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 2 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential benefits of introducing a price cap for the use of agency staff in healthcare positions, such as that introduced by NHS England in April 2023."

Answered by Neil Gray on 14 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37309

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 2 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what actions it has taken to ensure that people living in rural and remote areas are not disadvantaged when attempting to access care home placements, in light of the reported high rate of care home closures in these areas."

Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37306

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 2 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure the long-term viability of the social care sector, beyond increasing the minimum wage for adult social care workers to £12…

Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37308

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 2 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to ensure that rural and remote areas, such as the Highlands, do not become "social care deserts" due to care home closures."

Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37303

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 2 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reviewing and enhancing the human rights checks conducted by Scottish Enterprise, in light of reports that companies in receipt of public funding from Scottish Enterprise have export licences permitting them to sell military technology to countries committing serious human rights breaches."

Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37304

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 2 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that communities in remote, rural and island areas can receive accessible and high-quality care, in light of reports that, in the last decade, the number of care homes for older people in the Highlands has decreased by 18%."

Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025

Question ref. S6W-37305

Asked by: Cole-Hamilton, Alex, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 2 May 2025

"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits of expanding the capacity of care homes to reduce delayed discharges from hospitals."

Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025

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