Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-41021

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it received in Barnett consequential funding as a result of the UK Government committing £5.8 million for a smoke-free pregnancy incentive scheme in England in 2025-26.

At the UK Spending Review the Scottish Government received a Barnett share of the net changes to UK departmental budget allocations, which ultimately fed into our total block grant settlement.

Any new or additional spending allocations in 2025-26 associated with this UK policy will be included in the overall budget calculation for the Scottish Government. However, spending changes related to Barnett funding arising from UK policy decisions are not allocated to any specific programme of work in Scotland.

All budget allocation decisions are taken as part of the Scottish Budget process.

In 2023-24 the Scottish Government permanently provided funding for smoking cessation and prevention services to Health Boards as part of the Outcomes Framework funding, which also covered a wider range of outcomes. In 2025-26 territorial Health Boards received an overall funding uplift of 3%.

Question reference: S6W-41020

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it received in Barnett consequential funding as a result of the UK Government committing an additional £70 million to support stop smoking services in England in 2025-26.

At the UK Spending Review the Scottish Government received a Barnett share of the net changes to UK departmental budget allocations, which ultimately fed into our total block grant settlement.

Any new or additional spending allocations in 2025-26 associated with this UK policy will be included in the overall budget calculation for the Scottish Government. However, spending changes related to Barnett funding arising from UK policy decisions are not allocated to any specific programme of work in Scotland.

All budget allocation decisions are taken as part of the Scottish Budget process.

In 2023-24 the Scottish Government permanently provided funding for smoking cessation and prevention services to Health Boards as part of the Outcomes Framework funding, which also covered a wider range of outcomes. In 2025-26 territorial Health Boards received an overall funding uplift of 3%.

Question reference: S6W-41017

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for access to psychological support for bereaved parents.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of timely access to psychological support, including psychological therapies, for bereaved parents. One of the main ways this is provided is through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services. For most parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss, bereavement and grief support provided by their Health Board or third sector organisations will meet their needs and they will not require specialist mental health services.

Since 2019, our continued investment has resulted in a substantial increase in MNPI services across Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.

Alongside MNPI services, the Scottish Government is committed to improving the quality and delivery of psychological services across a range of settings, including adult mental health services. Over the period April-June 2025 78.3% of patients accessed psychological support within 18 weeks of referral and one in two people started treatment within four weeks. We continue to provide enhanced support to those Boards not on track to meet the waiting times standard, with a focus on improving the quality of care in Psychology Services.

Whilst workforce planning and service delivery are the responsibility of local partners, the Government’s ongoing investment in the psychological therapies' workforce has led to a 32.7% growth since March 2021. We also continue to fund NHS Education for Scotland to maintain student intake for Master's and Doctorate training programmes to ensure a strong psychological therapies’ workforce is maintained.

Question reference: S6W-41426

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the barriers young people face in accessing construction apprenticeships, including in South Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41431

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the impact of the rising number of older people, as a result of an ageing population, in its assessment of accessibility challenges.

Question reference: S6W-41428

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a flexible delivery model for roofing apprenticeships, including in South Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41427

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage an uptake in construction apprenticeships, including in South Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41429

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the (a) accessibility and (b) affordability of scaffolding training, including in South Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41018

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given in the preparation of the 2026-27 Budget to ensure adequate provision of care and support for individuals with severe and enduring mental illness.

Mental health is an absolute priority for this Government and ensuring provision of care and support for individuals with mental illness will be considered as part of the ongoing budget process. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance has confirmed that the Scottish Government will publish the 2026-27 Scottish Budget on Tuesday 13 January 2026. The UK Government’s decision to publish its Autumn Budget on 26 November has significantly compressed the Scottish Budget timetable.

Question reference: S6W-40962

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve public awareness of the difference between polycystic ovaries and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), in relation to PCOS being a hormonal disorder that can lead to a number of other health consequences.

NHS Inform helps women to access the information they need on a range of issues relating to their health. The Platform includes comprehensive information on polycystic ovary syndrome This includes an animation produced by the University of Edinburgh which provides an explanation of the condition in an easy to understand way including what polycystic ovaries are and their relevance in a diagnosis of PCOS.

To raise awareness of the condition and provide further information to women we worked with the Health and Social Care Alliance to deliver a series of webinars on menstrual health including a webinar on PCOS. This session explored the condition and how it is diagnosed, included information about polycystic ovaries as well as busting some common myths about the condition.

Each September we highlight the condition to the public by lighting our Scottish Government buildings to mark PCOS awareness month and utilise this opportunity to highlight the information available on NHS Inform.

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