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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.

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Question reference: S7W-01759

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01050 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, when the CLD Workforce Plan will be completed and published.

Question reference: S7W-01760

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01053 by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026, when the National CLD Workforce Survey will be completed and its findings made available to view.

Question reference: S7W-01719

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01042 by Kirsten Oswald on 7 July 2026, regarding the number of incidents involving possession of a knife or bladed article that have been recorded in schools in each of the last five years, whether it will provide a breakdown of these figures by local authority.

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: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 13 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.

Under current international development priorities, Scottish Government has identified Pakistan and Malawi as key countries for collaboration with British Council. Notably through Scotland Pakistan Scholarships for Young Women and Girls 2025 | British Council administered by British Council team in Pakistan and the Scotland Malawi partnership.

Scottish Government support for the British Council-run Scotland–Pakistan Scholarships for Young Women and Girls scheme has been in place since 2013, reflecting Pakistan’s status as a long-standing country of focus. As the Scottish Government’s longest-running international development programme, the scheme aims to remove barriers for women and girls to pursue and complete secondary education and transition to higher education.

A 2025 British Council evaluation found the programme has expanded girls’ access to education and improved their prospects of entering the labour market. By easing financial barriers and promoting inclusivity, it is driving long-term academic and professional growth and benefiting families and communities.

Question reference: S7W-01207

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with British Council Scotland regarding expanding opportunities for international mobility for Scottish learners, students, apprentices and education staff.

The British Council is set to become the National Agency for Erasmus+ in the UK.

The Erasmus+ Programme is the European Union’s flagship funding programme for education, training, youth and sport. With a budget of approximately 26 billion, it allows individuals of all ages and backgrounds to study, train, volunteer, or gain work experience abroad while providing organizations with grants to build international partnerships.

The Scottish Government will continue to collaborate closely with the British Council Scotland to ensure that Scotland’s learners, students, apprentices and education staff fully benefit from the opportunities arising from association with Erasmus+ from January 2027.

Question reference: S7W-01205

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 13 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what role it anticipates that British Council Scotland will play in supporting Scotland's international education objectives during the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government fulfilled a Programme for Government commitment by publishing its first International Education Strategy (IES) on 7 February 2024. British Council Scotland plays an important role in supporting its implementation as a member of the International Education Strategy Governance Group, providing strategic oversight and advice on the delivery of the Strategy’s objectives.

Through its extensive global networks and expertise, British Council Scotland supports Scottish colleges and universities in a range of areas, including transnational education, international student recruitment and access to seed-funding opportunities.

British Council Scotland also collaborates with sector partners to produce evidence-based research and analysis. This includes Scotland’s Higher Education: Partnering for Global Impact, published in partnership with Universities Scotland, which showcases the global reach and impact of Scotland’s higher education sector.

The Scottish Government provides funding to the British Council (BC) to deliver their Language Assistants Programmes, supporting both the placement of Modern Language Assistants from overseas in Scottish classrooms and universities, and Scotland-based students to travel and teach English abroad as English Language Assistants.

The British Council is set to become the National Agency for Erasmus+ in the UK. This will enable Scotland to achieve its vision of becoming more active internationally, forming connections and partnerships across the globe with countries who share our ambitions to alleviate poverty, achieve net zero and be an attractive place to live, work, visit, study and do business.

The Scottish Government supports the Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL), a British Council UK scholarship programme developed in partnership with Palestinian universities. The programme aims to strengthen the Palestinian higher education sector by responding to its needs and priorities.

HESPAL seeks to nurture the next generation of senior academics who can uphold international quality standards within Palestinian universities, while also fostering renewed and sustainable partnerships between institutions in Palestine and the United Kingdom.

The Scottish Government looks forward to continued collaboration with the British Council, creating a lasting legacy for scholarship students who have arrived and settled in Scottish Universities from Palestine.

Question reference: S7W-01015

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been dismissed in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S7W-01013

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been suspended from teaching in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S7W-01012

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many level 2 complaints have been made against teachers in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S7W-01044

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to schools on responding to incidents involving knives.