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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-40733

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported plans to do so in England, whether it plans to adopt a version of the so-called Jess’s Rule to ensure that people repeatedly presenting with unresolved medical symptoms are referred for further investigation.

The Scottish Government does not know at this juncture what the rolling out of Jess’s Rule will require in terms of implementation either by GPs or NHS England. We will be in a position to consider the benefits of the rule when we know more.

However, the Scottish Government understands that the RCGP learning resource which supports “Jess’s Rule” is available to GPs who are members in Scotland as well as in England. We would encourage GPs to make use of this resource.

Question reference: S6W-40735

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing a formal "three strikes and rethink" approach for GPs in dealing with people repeatedly presenting with unresolved medical symptoms, and what consultation it has carried out with medical professionals and patient safety organisations.

Question reference: S6W-40485

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in the First Minister's recent meetings with the President of the United States, the issue of the Open Championship golf tournament being held possibly at the Trump Turnberry course in Ayrshie was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-40574

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38373 by Gillian Martin on 17 June 2025, whether it will provide an update on its plans to review and revise the guidance regarding the exceptional circumstances in which it is permissible for storm overflows to spill.

Question reference: S6W-40587

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding local authority officers instructing external legal counsel to defend decisions in which they are directly involved, and what conflict-of-interest protections are in place.

Local authorities are entirely separate entities from the Scottish Government and their powers are set out in statute. It is up to each local authority to manage its own day to day business. The Scottish Government does not have a role in the operations of councils, including decisions to instruct external legal counsel. The Scottish Government expects all councils to have robust internal procedures in place to manage conflicts of interest and to ensure decisions are taken in a transparent and accountable manner.

Question reference: S6W-40584

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review national guidance to ensure that any local authority contract enforcement failures do not undermine public trust or distort competition in public procurement.

Public bodies, including local authorities, are expected to comply with all relevant procurement legislative requirements. Public bodies are responsible for deciding their actions in individual cases.

In addition to following organisation-specific guidance, the Scottish Procurement Policy Handbook provides guidance on the rules and policies that apply to the procurement activities of public bodies in Scotland. Additional and more specific guidance and e-learning is available to public bodies in various forms such as via the Procurement Journey website, Sustainable Procurement Tools and various Scottish Procurement Policy Notes.

The Scottish Government reviews its guidance on an ongoing basis to ensure necessary and helpful updates are made as appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-40586

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards there are to ensure that local authority officers do not exercise their delegated powers to waive contract terms or financial obligations without democratic oversight.

Local authorities are entirely separate entities from the Scottish Government and it is the responsibility of each local authority to manage its day-to-day business, including meeting statutory obligations in relation to procurement processes.

The rules public bodies, including local authorities, must comply with in relation to procurement in Scotland are set out in the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, the Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016, the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and the Concession Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016. Parties which have suffered, or risk suffering, loss as a result of an alleged failure to comply with the procurement legislation may bring action under that legislation in the courts.

Question reference: S6W-40588

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on conducting an independent review of local authority contract enforcement practice to best ensure transparency, fairness and compliance with procurement law.

Local authorities are autonomous corporate bodies, accountable to their electorates, and are responsible for managing their own procurement processes in line with statutory duties and national procurement legislation.

The Scottish Government does not independently review local authorities. The Accounts Commission and Audit Scotland provide independent scrutiny of local government performance. These bodies can consider concerns raised by the public or elected members and use this information to inform their audit work. Parties which have suffered, or risk suffering, loss as a result of an alleged failure to comply with the procurement legislation also have the option of bringing action under that legislation in the courts.

There are a variety of targeted capability and improvement programmes at national and sectoral level to review, support and underpin local performance against agreed national standards and policy aspirations, helping to strengthen the systems, skills and processes that support audit and governance.

Question reference: S6W-40585

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the handling of Contract CT2978, which has been referred to Audit Scotland and relates to the provision of services for the Edinburgh Winter Festivals, and whether these discussions included the reported failure, without elected member approval or any clear delegated authority, to (a) apply mandatory temporary traffic regulation order parking compensation charges and (b) enforce Clause 37 of the contract, following the reported non-payment by the contractor by the specified deadline.

Local authorities are autonomous corporate bodies, accountable to their electorates, and they are responsible for managing their own procurement processes in line with statutory duties and national procurement regulations. As such, I am not aware of any such discussions.

The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 provide for parties which have suffered, or risk suffering, loss as a result of an alleged failure to comply with any duty in those regulations to bring action under that legislation in the courts.

The Scottish Government is not responsible for ensuring local authorities’ compliance with legal obligations.

Question reference: S6T-02701

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason patients across Scotland will reportedly not be able to fully access the new MyCare NHS app until 2030.