Hansard

I am pleased to speak in the debate. Notwithstanding the challenges and criticisms that have been made by some members who have spoken, positive actions have also taken place. Just as the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland has done, it is important that we recognise what has been achieved.

In 2017, the Scottish Government’s new 10-year mental health strategy was published. Crucially, its aim was to create parity between the treatment of physical and mental health services. The Scottish Government has also increased funding for mental health services. As we heard, only yesterday it announced another £120 million for the mental health budget line, in addition to what was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance only a few weeks ago. The provision of £120 million for a mental health recovery and renewal fund will take next year’s Scottish mental health funding to £1.2 billion, which will be hugely beneficial for every community in Scotland. No previous Government has ever invested that level of resource in mental health services.

I welcome that additional resource and hope that in my Greenock and Inverclyde constituency the £120 million of funding can be made available to third sector organisations in addition to public sector bodies. Safe Harbour and Mind Mosaic are just two of the organisations that the minister has previously met and has an appreciation for. Barnardo’s and SAMH also undertake important work to help my constituents. I appreciate that the third sector is very much considered in the mental health transition and recovery plan.

The specialist work that Safe Harbour and Mind Mosaic undertake to help my constituents has a hugely positive effect and helps people to get their lives back. I know that the work that they deliver is appreciated by many, many people. Just as with addiction services, third sector organisations do a vast amount on mental health. They also have the opportunity to spend more time with individuals—time that public bodies do not always have.

The second point to highlight is that, at decision time on 27 November 2019, the Scottish Government’s amendment to the motion on mental health passed by 66 votes to 38. It replaced the words “mental health crisis” with the following:

“mental health and physical health must be treated with parity of esteem; further recognises that there is increased demand for mental health services as stigma has thankfully diminished”.—[Official Report, 27 November 2019; c 80.]

The Parliament voted to make the changes needed to make mental health equal to physical health. Society has changed. People not only want change; they quite rightly demand it.

It is also important to highlight that in the November 2019 publication of the annual report into the mental health strategy, two key aspects were highlighted. First, it highlighted that progress towards the actions in the mental health strategy was happening; 19 out of 40 actions were either complete or soon to be complete. Secondly, the Scottish Government responded positively to 99 out of 103 recommendations from the Youth Commission on Mental Health Services.

If the Scottish Government did not have a mental health strategy, I could accept the Opposition taking it to task; I would be doing the same. However, the strategy was prepared and published, it is being rolled out and it will prove to be beneficial for many people in our country.

I will finish by commending Amy Shearer of the Greenock Telegraph. Amy is a reporter and she was the genesis behind the recent time to talk day that the newspaper ran in print and online. The purpose was simple: it was to help break the stigma around mental ill health. Amy’s story of being bullied in school was awful, but I thank her for having the bravery to talk about it. Members can check the Greenock Telegraph Twitter feed for the short videos that were also posted.

The fact that Amy needed to tell that story tells us that there is still a vast amount of work to do. With societal change and political change, I believe that we can make leaps forward in helping to deal with the mental health problems that many people in our constituencies have. We still need to deal with the stigma, but that issue is being addressed, bit by bit.