Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton welcomes the recruitment of new mental health workers but seeks more information on what roles they will fill.

He also seeks a response to recommendations by Sir Harry Burns regarding adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

The mental health minister says the government is working with health boards to set out where workers will best fit depending on local needs.

She details efforts to improve child mental health, including infant mental health services and the family nurse partnership to reduce the risk of ACEs.

More support for young people, a national programme for new mothers and next-day help for more than 1,000 people in distress demonstrate some of the progress that has been made under Scotland’s national strategy for mental health, according to the SCottish government.

The first progress report, external of it's 10-year Mental Health Strategy, external, published in March 2017, outlines that 13 of the strategy’s 40 actions are either complete or nearly complete, and another 26 are underway.

The government says key achievements include:

• new arrangements to help young people moving to adult mental health services, which have been created by young people, and a digital tool to support young people with eating disorders
• a national network to develop help for the 11,000 women a year who experience mental health problems during and after pregnancy
• a pilot of the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme in four areas, with more than 1,000 people already being helped.

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Green MSP Alison Johnstone raises the issue of the delivery of 800 extra mental health service professionals.

Ms Johnstone asks about training places in terms of the 430 councillors promised for schools, colleges and universities.

The minister insists work has begun on this within workforce plans.

Ms Haughey explains localised plans must be put in place and she points out there will be a further 2,600 extra nursing and midwifery training places.

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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pledged an extra £250m for mental health services as she announced her plans for the coming year at Holyrood earlier this month.

Ms Sturgeon set out details of 12 new bills in her "programme for government" as MSPs returned from summer recess.

Mental health support for young people and increased capital investment were among the key measures announced.

Opposition parties said the government was being too timid, and had failed to follow through on previous promises.

Read more here.

Labour MSP Mary Fee says the Scottish government is nowhere near achieving parity between mental and physical health.

Ms Fee calls for school counselling services to be funded with new money, not existing mental health and education funding.

The Labour MSP also asks when the distress brief intervention programme be rolled out across Scotland.

Ms Haughey confirms the funding announced in the programme for government is new money.

I have written to all health boards to ensure the wider use of care transition plans as adolescents move from child to adult services, she tells the member.

She also confirms the distress brief intervention programme will be taken forward after evaluations of the initial pilots.

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The Scottish government has admitted that children and young people are being "let down" by the country's mental health services.

Child mental health has been a key priority for the government as part of its goal of making Scotland the best country in the world to grow up in.

But a watchdog's report has found that specialist services are struggling to cope with increasing demand.

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said the situation was "unacceptable".

The Scottish government's target of having 90% of children and young people start treatment within 18 weeks of being referred to specialist mental health services has never been met since being introduced in December 2014.

Instead, waiting times have increased since the target was set - with 26% waiting longer than 18 weeks last year, compared to only 15% in 2013/14.

• Record waits for child mental health care
• Sturgeon announces mental health funds
• Read more here

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Scottish Conservative MSP Annie Wells says this statement is missing the point somewhat and she highlights the record CAMHS waiting times and criticisms from Audit Scotland on mental health services.

The Tory MSP ask what the minister will use to measure progress and whether the commitments in the government's programme for government will lead to the step change required.

The minister says she is disappointed in the question from Annie Wells and highlights the task force set up to tackle the issues around CAMHS.

The annual report demonstrates clear progress on the strategy, insists the minister.

She highlights increased understanding of mental health in society and welcomes reduction to stigma.

However, Ms Haughey says it is important for services on offer to be understood by the public and for services to be able to respond to needs.

The importance of early intervention and the ease of navigation between services is alluded to by the minister.

We need to move away from using blunt data from waiting times and workforce statistics, and look more towards data on what treatment works and what does not she states.

We've come a long way since the publication of the strategy, the minister says, and we need to continue to focus on innovative ways of working to ensure mental health services are among the best in the world.

The Scottish government has set a target of reducing the country's suicide rate by 20% by 2022.

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey announced the target alongside a new suicide prevention action plan.

Suicide prevention charity Samaritans had claimed the Scottish government wasnot taking the issue seriously enough.

Ms Haughey insisted Scotland has "made real progress in reducing deaths by suicide", but said there was "far more to do" to tackle the issue.

The government is setting up a national suicide prevention leadership group, headed by former Police Scotland deputy chief Rose Fitzpatrick, to be backed by a £3m innovation fund.

• Suicidal have a 'higher pain threshold'
• Read the full action plan here, external
• Read more here

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Ms Haughey highlights the Children and Young People's Mental Health and Wellbeing Taskforce, external and the £5m backing it.

The Task Force is to provide recommendations for improvements in provision for children and young people’s mental health in Scotland and, in partnership, develop a programme of sustainable reform of services.

The minister also highlights the Youth Commission on Mental Health and the Suicide Prevention Action Plan.

Finally she focuses on the See Me campaign, which she says is the biggest conversation with young people ever, to let them talk about their wellbeing.

Image source, Getty Images

On 30 March 2017 the Scottish government unveiled its strategy on mental health, external, committing to spend more than £300m to tackle it in the next five years.

There are 40 actions in the Scottish government's new strategy.

They include:

• Increasing mental health workforce in A&E, GP practices, police stations and prisons
• Reviewing counselling and guidance services in schools
• Reforming adults with incapacity legislation so it complies with best international standards
• Establishing a bi-annual forum of mental health experts to help guide the implementation

The strategy focuses on prevention and early intervention and a social security system based on "dignity, fairness and respect".

Read more here.

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey says today sees the publication of the first annual report on the mental health strategy.

Of the 40 actions in the strategy, 13 are completed or nearly complete, while 36 are in progress Ms Haughey tells the chamber.

Only one - to carry out a review in 2022 - has not yet started for obvious reasons, she says.

Investment has been made to establish a perinatal mental health network, the minister tells the chamber, helping the one in five mothers who suffer problems during and after birth.

In addition, over 1,000 have received a distress brief intervention so far, she adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey will now give a statement on the annual report on the Mental Health Strategy.

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Public Health Minister Joe Fitzpatrick says the Scottish government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

He says the JCVI reocommended providing the vaccine for over 75s.

The minister tells the chamber the NSS sorts out the procurement of vaccines for the NHS.

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Mr Sarwar says in England and Wales all individuals over 65 will have access to the enhanced flu vaccination as standard.

Procurement arrangements differ across the UK, replies Mr Fitzpatrick.

He points out it is up to GPs in the rest of the UK what vaccines they order and adds it is no clear what they will be able to buy.

The minister insists the safer approach was the guarantee of the central roll-out of the vaccines for over 75s in Scotland.

Image source, Science Photo Library

According to this Scottish Sun report, external: "Half a million older Scots will miss out on an upgraded flu jab being offered in England this winter amid cost-cutting fears, it has emerged.

"The Scottish Government appears to have snubbed independent advice and has not paid about £1m extra for the Fluad vaccine – despite forecasts the drug will ultimately save both lives and cash."

An enhanced flu jab for elderly people will save hundred of lives in England this winter, according to Public Health England.

The effectiveness of flu jabs notoriously declines as people get older and was effective in just one in 10 over-65s last winter, external.

The vaccine will also be offered to the over-65s in Wales and Northern Ireland as well as the over-75s in Scotland.

Read more here.

Labour MSP Anas Sarwar asks what arrangements it is making with ordering the enhanced flu vaccination for the forthcoming immunisation programme.

Green MSP John Finnie says the major factor to performance issues is the single track in the Highlands and he calls for significant investment for this.

Mr Matheson says the SPTR will look at improving resilience on the line.

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Labour MSP Colin Smyth points out reliability is at a record low and the ScotRail franchise agreement has failed.

Mr Smyth calls on the Scottish government to bring the franchise under public control by 2020.

Mr Matheson retorts that the Welsh (Labour) government has just awarded two franchises to private companies.

He insists the Scottish government will continue to invest in ScotRail to bring about improvements.

I am aware that ScotRail is not performing as well as expected, begins Transport Secretary Michael Matheson.

He insists the Scottish government works closely with the two partners of the ScotRail Alliance to ensure they improve its performance.

Mr Matheson says ScotRail's performance at 88.9% remains better than the UK average of 86.9%.

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Mr Mountain accepts there have been improvements, however he highlights the impact of delays on passengers.

Satisfaction in the way ScotRail is handling complaints is down by 13% he points out.

Mr Matheson accepts it is important that when there are delays there must be better information dissemination and he insists there will be progress.

Image source, PA

According to the Sunday Post, external: "Reliability of ScotRail trains hits worst level in two decades for April to June was the worst it had been for over two decades, new figures showed, with problems linked to the weather having soared by almost 350%.

"Performance on reliability in the first quarter of 2018-19 was the lowest it had been for that three-month period since records began in 1997-98, according to national statistics.

"Other figures also showed punctuality on train services had worsened, with ScotRail returning its worst figures for this quarter since 2005-06.

"In April to June, 90.3% of trains arrived at their destination within five minutes of the planned time, the data showed."

Read more of the Sunday Post report here, external.