Question reference: S6W-19059
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 12 June 2023
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Current status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 June 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent abortion figures published by Public Health Scotland, which show that there were 16,584 terminations in 2022, representing a 19% increase on 2021.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the abortion statistics for 2022. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with NHS Boards to help improve access to abortion services for those who wish to have a termination.
In particular, the Scottish Government is working to deliver actions in the Women’s Health Plan, which includes a range of measures to ensure all women have access to timely abortion care should they require it, and to increase choice for women accessing this care.
We are also committed to ensuring that women across Scotland have timely access to contraception, and to information which allows them to make informed decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health.