Questions and answers

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-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-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-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.

Question reference: S6W-40170

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding 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, what assessment it has made of the disproportionate impacts on marginalised women of the issues raised, including high rates of maternal mortality and disparities in access to sexual and reproductive health services and information.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38163 on 17 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Our revised Pathway of Maternity Care clinical guidance and schedule, published on 6 February 2025, sets out the core care that all women and babies should receive under a whole-person, individualised care approach which takes account of their specific circumstances. We remain committed to implementation of continuity of carer by mid-2026, under The Best Start, as part of our Programme for Government 2025-26, recognising that the evidence tells us that this approach will be of greatest benefit to women and families from minoritised and marginalised communities.

On 6 February 2025, we published our Tackling Racialised Health Inequalities in Maternity Care Action Plan, which outlines our next steps for both local and national action. This is supplemented by our Interpretation Toolkits, designed to support staff to deliver maternity care where women require the use of an interpreter. Our data and evidence resource provides NHS Boards with an overview of the sources available to support local improvement activity.

We have asked all 22 NHS Boards to develop and deliver against anti-racism plans, covering workforce and service delivery. Planning guidance issued to NHS Boards in September 2024 and identifies perinatal care as an early priority for action.

The Scottish Government Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan was launched in 2023 and places a large focus on how to ensure everyone who needs it can access good sexual and reproductive health. LGBT Youth Scotland, Scotland’s national charity for LGBTI+ young people, was awarded multi-year funding to support LGBTI+ young people. The projects aims to ensure that LGBTI+ young people have improved awareness around sexual health and wellbeing, and increased access to this information to address inequity in sexual health care.

Question reference: S6W-40372

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published report, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder; The Welfare State: Recommendations for Reform, how it will (a) act to improve the experiences of people with premenstrual dysphoric disorder applying for a social security benefit and (b) implement the report’s recommendations.

In Scotland, we have built a radically different system to change the way disability benefits are delivered. We ensure that the impact of fluctuating health conditions like PMDD have on people’s lives are fully taken into account when someone applies for a social security benefit.

For example, we have removed anxiety inducing and unreliable private-sector assessments which only offer a snapshot of an individual’s needs and fail people with fluctuating conditions like PMDD. Our person-centred approach ensures that the full impacts of a long-term health condition, including the impacts of pain and fatigue, are taken into consideration during the decision-making process.

The Sottish Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the social security system. We therefore welcome this comprehensive report and will carefully consider its findings alongside the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, which Scottish Ministers are committed to responding to by January 2026.

Question reference: S6W-40172

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that its forthcoming high-level action plan, to respond to 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, mainstreams intersectional gender equality considerations.

We continue to take forward work to protect, promote and improve gender equality in Scotland, working with the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG). The Scottish Government accepted the NACWG’s 21 recommendations for systemic change and has begun implementing them, including publishing the first annual statement on gender policy coherence.

Intersectional gender equality considerations will continue to be recognised in the Scottish Government’s policy and practice, including our forthcoming high-level action plan in response to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Right’s recent Concluding Observations. This plan will serve as an important milestone in our work to strengthen transparency and accountability around the implementation of human rights and we intend to publish our response later this year.

Beyond this, our draft mainstreaming strategy will intend to set out an ambitious and progressive agenda to further embed equality and human rights in all we do.

Question reference: S6W-40207

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the two-week deadline for urgent cancer referrals in cases involving hormone replacement therapy has been met in each of the last five years.

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