Chamber and committees

We take child and adolescent mental health very seriously. Since 2014, the Scottish Government has supported delivery of mental health first aid training by offering a grant to local authorities to undertake the Scottish mental health first aid training programme. The training was initially offered to local authorities who were identified as being in the most need of immediate support, based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and on figures provided by NHS on the number of professionals trained within the authority. Following the first year, suicide rates were also included as an additional indicator to identify local authorities in need thereafter.

We are continuing to offer the grant to local authorities in need as part of our commitment within the Suicide Prevention Action Plan, published earlier this year, to offer every local authority this training by the end of academic year 2019-20.

This will be enhanced by our commitment to deliver school counsellors in every secondary school in Scotland, which was announced in the Programme for Government, along with the significant additional investment in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

As laid out in their Business Plan, Scottish Enterprise works in partnership with other bodies to promote the full extent of Scotland's assets. On this occasion, the responsibility for dealing with planning applications and local planning matters rests with Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA).

Reference to Human Rights Due Diligence checks is in the Appraisal and Evaluation section of the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise do not currently retain this information in this way. However, both agencies do consider all aspects of the Scottish Business Pledge when assessing applications for business support, including the Living Wage.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to increasing the number of employers paying the Living Wage in Scotland and both enterprise agencies play a critical role in achieving this. For example, our Programme for Government states that we will add criteria on fair work practices, including the Living Wage, to business support grants through Regional Selective Assistance and other large Scottish Enterprise job-related grants, starting with grants offered in 2019-2020.

I refer the member to my answer to question S5W-19100 on 25 October 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

As this is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland I have asked their Chief Executive to respond to you directly.

We will continue to monitor the statistical information on co-ordinated support plans and will engage with ADES and CoSLA on these issues.

In light of these discussions, we will consider if further revision to the statutory Supporting Learners' Code of Practice is required to support education authorities to continue to meet their duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 (as amended) in relation to CSPs.

All Scottish public bodies within the scope of the Scottish Public Finance Manual are required to follow the manual. The manual states: Human rights due diligence checks should be carried out before entering into an investment relationship or agreement or with a third party.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18383 on 14 September 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

As stated in the answer to S5W-03736, Highlands and Islands Enterprise provided funding figures for a range of activities in businesses that may be targeting defence contracts as part of their operating strategy. Scottish Enterprise used the industry standard sector definition of Aerospace, Defence and Marine to capture company support.