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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-40990

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to support NHS staff during the roll-out of the MyCare.scot app.

Question reference: S6W-40581

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the introduction of the next phase of the Women’s Health Plan.

Question reference: S6W-40839

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it provides to people with diabetes on low incomes to afford podiatry treatments.

Question reference: S6W-40840

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any NHS boards that have stopped providing specialist podiatry care for people with diabetes.

Question reference: S6W-40487

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Rugby report, Breaking the silence: why breast health matters in rugby, which was published in September 2025 and highlights research concerning the difference in performance made by having a proper fitting for a sports bra, how it will raise awareness among women and girls of the potential damage to health that can be caused by ill-fitting sports bras, including informing them of the potential damage that might arise in sporting settings.

The Scottish Government understands the importance of sport and physical activity for women and girls in Scotland and the positive impact that has on their physical, mental, and social health across all stages in life. We recognise the importance of having a proper fitting sports bra to support women and girls in sport and physical activity, and to reduce barriers to participation.

The Female Athlete Performance Working Group at the sportscotland Institute of Sport has developed a range of resources for female athletes and anyone supporting and working with girls and women in sport at any level. This includes a learning module on bras and breast health, amongst other female athlete health modules. These are available on Brightspace, free of charge. These modules have been promoted by a number of Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport, as well as through our national agency for sport, sportscotland.

Question reference: S6W-40171

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to fully decriminalise abortion, in light of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) Concluding Observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the recommendation to be guided by the World Health Organization’s 2022 Abortion Care Guideline.

The Scottish Government committed in the 23-24 Programme for Government to undertake a review of abortion law to identify potential proposals for reforms to ensure that abortion services are first and foremost a healthcare matter.

To take this forward, the Scottish Government established an Expert Group in August 2024 to examine the current law; international examples; a range of stakeholder views and other evidence will be published in due course.

Question reference: S6O-05005

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made in developing the next phase of the Women’s Health Plan.

Question reference: S6W-40508

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide additional protection for locations where asylum seekers are living either permanently or temporarily, in light of the reported recent increase in violence and intimidation surrounding such properties.

Asylum is reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes provision of asylum accommodation and support to people who would otherwise be destitute while waiting for a decision on their asylum application. Asylum accommodation is therefore provided by the UK Government to those who are eligible whilst in the asylum system and is managed under UK Government contracts.

The Scottish Government works closely with the Home Office, Local Authorities and Police Scotland to monitor activities surrounding community cohesion and protest activity. Police Scotland has existing powers to respond to instances of violence and intimidation within communities. There are no plans to introduce additional specific protection measures at asylum accommodation.

Question reference: S6W-40509

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a protest exclusion zone around properties where asylum seekers are living either temporarily or permanently, in light of the reported increase in violence and intimidation surrounding such sites.

I can confirm there are currently no plans to implement protest exclusion zones around asylum accommodation.

People have the right of peaceful protest in a democracy, but that must be balanced with safety. The Scottish Government is deeply concerned about some activity targeting asylum accommodation and individuals which creates a sense of real fear and alarm. The Scottish Government strongly believes that everyone has the right to be and feel safe and secure in the place they are living and in the community. No one should have to fear they will be targeted for who they are.

It may be helpful to note that the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee considered a petition calling for buffer zones to be introduced in September 2023. Petition PE2049 was closed on 9 October 2024. Consideration and evidence submitted to the Committee is available on the Scottish Parliament website: PE2049 Introduce buffer zones outside migrant accommodation | Scottish Parliament Website.

Question reference: S6W-40371

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38735 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 July 2025, what its response is to the new research on the welfare benefits system and premenstrual dysphoric disorder published in the report, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: The Welfare State: Recommendations for Reform.

As the report sets out, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) has a huge impact on the welfare of many in Scotland. We therefore welcome this report and will take its recommendations into account as we develop the next phase of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.

We have already established a dedicated working group and action has been taken to raise awareness and support better understanding of PMDD among healthcare professionals. This work sits alongside our ongoing commitment to deliver a social security system with dignity, fairness and respect at its core.

In contrast to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is committed to protecting and enhancing social security benefits. We will carefully consider the report’s findings alongside the recommendations made by the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, which we have committed to respond to by January 2026.