Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani) SNP

The next item of business is a statement by Maureen Watt on the mental health strategy. The minister will take questions at the end of her statement, so ther...

The Minister for Mental Health (Maureen Watt) SNP

As the Scottish Government’s first dedicated Minister for Mental Health, I have been driven by a simple principle: we must prevent and treat mental health pr...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Thank you, minister. The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I can allow around 30 minutes for questions and then we wi...

Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con) Con

I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement. I begin by expressing my concern, which I know is shared across the chamber, that the Scottish Gove...

Maureen Watt SNP

As Miles Briggs will know, it is the Parliamentary Bureau, and not the Government, that determines the work programme in the chamber. The Health and Sport Co...

Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I, too, thank the minister for early sight of her statement. There are actions in the strategy that are to be welcomed, such as the managed clinical network ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

You must come to a close, please.

Monica Lennon Lab

Without a solid commitment to investment and action to support early intervention, how can the minister give assurances that the strategy will adequately imp...

Maureen Watt SNP

With 40 actions in the strategy, it is indeed transformative, and I think that the member will find that most of the asks in her party’s manifesto have been ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I remind members that the main Opposition spokespeople are given some leeway in the length of their questions, but I ask for brevity in future questions, ple...

Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP) SNP

I refer members to my entry in the register of interests as a registered mental health nurse. I want to say, first, how much I welcome the strategy and the ...

Maureen Watt SNP

I thank Clare Haughey for her question; I recognise her experience in this area. As she said, I have already announced the new managed clinical network for p...

Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Con) Con

The Scottish Government set a target for 90 per cent of adults and children whose GP refers them for treatment for mental health issues to begin treatment wi...

Maureen Watt SNP

Scotland was the first country to introduce waiting times for mental health services. I agree with Annie Wells. As I have said in the chamber many times, I a...

Gillian Martin (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) SNP

What provision will be made to ensure that in future young people who have exhibited suicidal tendencies or who have a history of suicide attempts are referr...

Maureen Watt SNP

Every suicide is a tragedy. When a young person needs to be seen urgently by a clinician, that should happen—and it does happen on a daily basis. We are inve...

Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I note that the minister thanked COSLA in her statement. The reality is that this was meant to be a joint strategy from COSLA and the Scottish Government, fo...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Can we have a question, please, Mr Sarwar? Interruption.

Anas Sarwar Lab

Shona Robison is saying that we missed his welcome for the strategy, but the note says quite clearly that this was meant to be a joint strategy but COSLA is ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Can we have a question, please, Mr Sarwar?

Anas Sarwar Lab

What action will the Government take to alleviate the crisis that we have with COSLA, and how can we stop cuts to mental health budgets in IJBs?

Maureen Watt SNP

We can sure rely on Anas Sarwar’s negativity. As I said in my statement, we have worked very closely with COSLA in developing this strategy—joint work has b...

Jenny Gilruth (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) SNP

How will the new mental health strategy support the development of positive mental health and wellbeing in schools and, in so doing, support young people’s r...

Maureen Watt SNP

I recognise Jenny Gilruth’s experience in schools in this field. We will undertake a review of personal and social education in schools and make sure that al...

Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green) Green

What provisions are in the strategy to tackle rising levels of self-harm among children and young people in Scotland, and how will we make sure that young pe...

Maureen Watt SNP

Self-harm is clearly a demonstration of mental distress. I have visited services in Perth, where, in schools at lunch time, there is groupwork with children ...

Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) SNP

In the chamber, we have previously discussed concerns over children or young people with mental health problems being admitted to non-specialist wards, not l...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

With a sore throat.

Fulton MacGregor SNP

Yes. Laughter.

Maureen Watt SNP

We have seen improvements in 2016, as reported by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, with fewer incidents of young people being admitted to non-spec...