• Hull Council Leader Mike Ross calls on Government to set out “Rapid Response Plan” after North Sea Collision
• Cole-Hamilton backs Scottish cheerleaders in exam battle

Hull Council Leader Mike Ross calls on Government to set out “Rapid Response Plan” after North Sea Collision

Liberal Democrat Hull Council Leader, Cllr Mike Ross, has called on the Government to hold an emergency meeting in East Yorkshire and to set out a “Rapid Response Plan” following the events unfolding in the North Sea.

The call comes as a major operation is underway off the east coast of England after an oil tanker and a cargo vessel collided in the North Sea near Hull.

Cllr Mike Ross is calling on the Government to set out exactly what steps it will take as a result of the incident. Mike is also calling on the Government to provide local support services with any assistance they need.

Commenting, Cllr Mike Ross said:

While a massive emergency response is underway on the ground, we need the same level of action from the Government.

I am calling for the Government to set out a Rapid Response Plan.

My thanks and admiration go to all those on the ground here who are doing all they can to work through this deeply troubling event. We need to see the government supporting that effort too.

Cole-Hamilton backs Scottish cheerleaders in exam battle

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has called on the Scottish Government and the Scottish Qualification Authority to look again at a decision over exam invigilation which will force Scottish cheerleaders due to sit Higher and National 5 exams to choose between either missing exams or missing out on representing their country.

A number of Scottish dance teams have qualified for the World Championships ‘The Summit’ taking place in Florida in May. A variety of different competitions are taking place over the space of three weeks.

However, new SQA guidance starting in 2025 for students sitting Higher and National 5 exams has separated the different competitions in Florida, giving alternative venue qualification – being able to sit their exams from Florida – to some athletes but not to others.

The new guidance means that athletes with dance companies such as Joanne Smith’s Capital All Stars do not qualify for an alternative venue if they are competing at events other than the ICU World Championships.

Across the UK, over 300 athletes took their exams in Florida last year while taking part as athletes in the series of World Championships, and this has been stripped away from some of the Scottish athletes.

Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

This feels like a real injustice. Many of these athletes have spent years in training to get to this stage but now they are faced with either missing exams or missing out on representing their country.

It seems as if the SQA are being unhelpful and inflexible. If it’s possible for some athletes to complete exams abroad then it seems like there is no good reason why this cannot be extended to others in similar circumstances.

I want to see talented athletes given the chance to thrive both competitively and academically. If the SQA won’t see sense then perhaps it is time for the Education Secretary or the sports minister to have a word in their ear.