Chamber and committees

Yes. I understand that the Scottish Museums Council, who are responsible for undertaking the National Audit, have received a completed questionnaire from the Burns National Heritage Park.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including driver licensing.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including driver licensing.

The Executive maintains close contact with the authority, the constituent councils and other interested parties involved in the delivery of public transport in the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA) area. We are aware of no substantial evidence that SPTA has failed to carry out its statutory duties.

That is a matter for each NHS board to decide in consultation with their local authority and other care partners. A review of all child and adolescent mental health services is under way by the Public Health Institute for Scotland and is due to report later this year.Providing age sensitive care and the importance of appropriate and planned transition from child, through adolescent to adult services are key to the successful planning and delivery of care for this priority group.

Health care for young people with a mental health illness is funded from the general allocations that the Scottish Executive provides to NHS boards. The boards are responsible for determining how these resources are used to meet the different healthcare needs of their populations in line with national guidance on health priorities. We do not hold centrally information about expenditure by NHS boards on young people with a mental health problem.

The Executive has already commissioned the Public Health Institute for Scotland to conduct a national review of child and adolescent mental health services. Their report is due later this year. In addition separate studies of adolescent psychiatry out-patient services, depression among adolescents and adolescent psychosis have been funded. Together, the findings will inform future decisions on the best organisation of services for this important care group. Our expert Child Health Support Group has been visiting NHS boards to offer support in strengthening local services for children and young people. Their national conference later this month will include examples of good practice in child and adolescent mental health services.

We have no such plans. The 21-day time limit for lodging appeals (in non-criminal matters) with the sheriff court is set by the Act of Sederunt (Summary Applications, Statutory Applications and Appeals etc. Rules) 1999. Under these rules courts have the discretion to waive this time limit for whatever reason and frequently do so.

The Scottish Executive currently funds a range of voluntary bodies in the mental health arena which provide various types of support, including telephone helplines, for people with mental health difficulties. In addition, we are currently planning the introduction of a telephone helpline for people with low mood and depression, who may be at risk of suicide, which will help put them in touch with appropriate services offered by the statutory and voluntary sectors.

The Scottish Executive is developing a national programme to improve the mental health of the Scottish population. To drive that process, I am chairing a National Advisory Group, consisting of a range of stakeholders across health, education, social justice, business and other sectors. The advisory group will oversee various projects and initiatives, which is likely to include work with young people.A range of services is also being developed to meet the needs of people suffering from depression, including psychological interventions, which were added to the Framework for Mental Health Services in October last year.