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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-43184

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Women’s Health Plan: Phase 2 (2026-2029), by what date it will publish the Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, and what the timeline is for its implementation.

Question reference: S6W-43183

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Women’s Health Plan: Phase 2 (2026-2029), by what date it will publish the National Plan for Gynaecology, and what the timeline is for its implementation.

Question reference: S6W-43186

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Women’s Health Plan: Phase 2 (2026-2029), when it will (a) launch and (b) issue the national survey on women and girls health in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-43185

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government where the location will be for the first roll-out of self-sampling for cervical screening, which is expected to take place in spring 2026.

Question reference: S6W-43182

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) working, (b) reference, (c) policy sub, (d) network and (e) other groups have been established in relation to its delivery of Phase 2 of the Women’s Health Plan; what the full name of each group is, and to whom each group reports.

Question reference: S6W-42812

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any price gaps between the purchase costs of gluten-free products and the NHS reimbursement rate for pharmacies, what steps it is taking to ensure that those with coeliac disease have sufficient access to prescriptions for gluten-free products.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any negative price differentials between the purchase costs of gluten-free food products and the NHS reimbursement rate. The Scottish Drug Tariff contains information regarding the prescribing, dispensing and reimbursement of medicines and appliances. Gluten-free food products are reimbursed in line with this process.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with long term conditions such as coeliac disease receive the care and support they need. People who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis can receive a range of gluten-free foods on prescription at no charge. There is a monthly unit allowance and people may choose to use all or part of that allowance to access these gluten-free items on prescription through their local community pharmacy. Health Boards set out the gluten-free food products available on prescription, taking account of local needs and demands, in their prescribing formularies.

Question reference: S6W-42813

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the NHS reimbursement rate for pharmacies purchasing prescriptions for gluten-free products.

The Scottish Drug Tariff contains information regarding the prescribing, dispensing and reimbursement of medicines and appliances. It lists the reimbursement prices paid by the NHS for approved prescribable items. Gluten-free food products are reimbursed in line with this process. Any price updates are imported directly from the UK Dictionary of Medicines and Devices price files by Public Health Scotland, who supply this monthly to PSD to support accurate reimbursement.

Question reference: S6W-42824

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the ongoing work to map out existing mental health services as part of the Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland, and a timeline for its publication.

The Scottish Government is continuing discussions internally and with NHS perinatal mental health professionals around how counselling and other psychological services (including those provided by third sector organisations) could be expanded and improved to provide appropriate support for those impacted, where they don’t require more specialised NHS support.

There are no plans at this time to publish the map of services which will be used to inform policy.

Question reference: S6W-42842

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that NHS Dumfries and Galloway has issued an apology, what its response is to reports of physical and sexual abuse at the Ladyfield psychiatric unit for children.

Question reference: S6W-42783

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of an epidural kit shortage.

The supply of medicines, including managing shortages, is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The Scottish Government works closely with the UK Government on all related medicines supply issues and there are well-established and robust processes in place to communicate, address and mitigate any risks as result of any medicines supply issues that occur.

On 2 December, a National Patient Safety Alert was issued about the supply issues affecting epidural bags. The alert outlines actions to minimise the potential impact of the shortage. The DHSC has also sourced sufficient supplies of clinically equivalent alternatives. In Scotland, NHS National Procurement has confirmed that the situation is stable from a supply perspective and Health Boards are receiving allocations of alternative epidural bags, meaning that patients should see no change in their care.