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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-42015

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of frequent cancellation and reassignment of care packages on social care workforce stability, retention and continuity of carers for service users.

The Scottish Government values our dedicated, caring and professional social care workforce.

The Scottish Government has not made any assessments on the impact of any issues involving care packages on the social care workforce. Whilst the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care support policy in Scotland, it is for local Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to ensure that social care support services are in place to provide their population with the appropriate support in the right place and at the right time.

Question reference: S6W-42148

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS England, NHS Wales and HSC Northern Ireland in relation to a joint response to evidence regarding the risks for people affected by exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) as a result of their mother using the drug during pregnancy.

The Scottish Government has the utmost sympathy for the women who may have been harmed by stilbestrol. However, Scottish Ministers have had no discussions with NHS England, NHS Wales and HSC Northern Ireland on this issue as the regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Question reference: S6W-41986

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that health services in Argyll & Bute have been relocated to Glasgow.

There is an existing and established Orthopaedic pathway in place for patients in Argyll & Bute to receive treatment in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. This has been the position for some time and we understand from Health Boards that patient feedback on this arrangement is largely positive.

More recently, the Haematology service was redesigned and repatriated to NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde due to the sub specialist nature of the many blood cancers and treatments now available, ensuring patients can continue to be treated safely. Patients are also supported through consultant consultations via NearMe within NHS Highland’s McMillan Suite with specialist nursing support.

To deliver case closer to home, many services across Argyll & Bute are also provided via an outreach service level agreement (SLA) which allows local access to consultant clinics.

As part of my plan to reform the NHS, I have announced that Health Boards will plan on a sub-national basis in 2026-27. This will ensure NHS Boards work together in the East and West of Scotland, allowing teams to work across their boundaries and share resources to ensure capacity is maximised and that long waiting patients can access treatment more quickly.

I expect all Health Boards to support across boundaries to deliver for their patient population ensuring timely access treatment.

Question reference: S6F-04495

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-42010

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many adult social care packages have been (a) initiated and (b) cancelled within each (i) NHS board and (ii) local authority area in each of the last five years.

(a) Data on the number of adult social care packages which have been initiated is not held centrally.

Numbers of new personal care clients were previously collected and published annually until 2022-23. Data was based on one quarter of data (January to March), each year and was available at local authority (LA) level, although not all LAs were able to provide the information:

Social care: eligibility criteria and waiting times Scotland 2022-2023 - gov.scot.

Due to difficulties faced by LAs in providing the data requested, including issues with consistency and comprehensiveness, this data collection has been paused while SG work with Public Health Scotland to explore ways to obtain more robust data.

(b) Data on adult social care packages which have been cancelled is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-42012

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many adult social care packages have been cancelled following a hospital admission of (a) fewer than three days, (b) three to seven days and (c) more than seven days in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42006

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of NHS 24 111 calls resulted in no further medical action being taken in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-41944

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how schools are expected to deliver financial literacy to pupils as part of the curriculum.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Financial Education in equipping learners with key life skills. Financial literacy is embedded in the curriculum in Scotland through numeracy and maths, business studies and personal and social education classes. Financial Education is a key feature of Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes for Numeracy and Mathematics, assisting learners in making decisions about managing money, ensuring best value and budgeting. Credit, debt, earnings and deductions are also included within the curriculum alongside effectively managing money, making appropriate use of technology and appreciating the importance of budgeting.

Education Scotland provides professional learning resources enabling educators to reflect on their own understanding and knowledge in supporting learning and teaching about money. In addition, a wide range of teaching resources are provided by the private and Third Sector. These include Barclays Life Skills, financial education guidance from the Money & Pension Service and the work of the charity, Money Ready.

Education Scotland are currently reviewing the curriculum in line with the Curriculum Improvement Cycle programme. As part of this review, work is taking place to review the place of financial education within the curriculum. Education Scotland are engaging with a wide range of practitioners and stakeholders, including children and young people, to review current Financial Education teaching and practice and plan how it can most effectively be integrated into the curriculum, ensuring an equitable approach.

Question reference: S6W-41945

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the provision of financial literacy as part of the school curriculum.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41944 on 1 December 2025, Education Scotland are currently reviewing the curriculum in line with the Curriculum Improvement Cycle programme. As part of this review, work is taking place to review the place of financial education within the curriculum. 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.

The engagement to date has included a series of collaborative sessions involving a broad range of practitioners, stakeholders, and academics, including representatives from the Money and Pensions Service, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, the National Association of Student Money Advisers, and Money Ready. These sessions have examined the current landscape of financial education, drawing on evidence-based research, and have initiated planning on how financial education might be effectively integrated into the Scottish curriculum to promote a coherent and equitable approach.

Question reference: S6W-42014

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are in place to ensure continuity of care for social care service users whose care package is cancelled during hospital admissions, and how these measures are monitored.

The Scottish Government recognises the value of social care support to all who require additional support in living independently at home or in the community and appreciate the concerns that may arise following changes to this support.

Under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships have a duty to assess the social care support needs of people both in hospital and the community, and decide in light of that assessment, to arrange or re-instate suitable services, if required.

While the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care support policy in Scotland, it is Local Government who have the statutory responsibility to record and share decisions affecting a person’s choices and support, and to ensure that any decisions are made in line with the Self-directed Support (SDS) principles and duties set out in the statutory guidance.

Local Government will operate local eligibility criteria to prioritise responses to changes in care packages and reassessments based on risk and complexity of need. The eligibility criteria will usually prescribe standard waiting times for assessments, reassessment and reviews, including for exceptional and urgent circumstances, such as hospital admissions, individuals at risk and additional support for unpaid carers.