 That's good, I thank you, Presiding Officer, for reversing the order, that was very extremely helpful. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that children and young people have access to mental health services in the light of the reports that over 16,000 rejected referrals in the last three years. Minister, Jamie Hepburn… minor, we are committed to ensuring that children and young people of any age get access to high quality mental health services. all children referred to specialists, child and adolescent mental health services will be assessed. On an individual basis and where a request is not deemed suitable for intervention, we would expect clinicians to refer to the child to an appropriate service. Children accessing mental health services will have their needs assessed by a multiple discipline team, which may include psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists and specialist nursing staff. We are seeing a rise in demand. The past year has seen a 30 per cent increase in people being seen in child and adolescent mental health services and in response we are investing in additional £100 million for mental health over the next five years. The funding that we invested in improving mental health services will partly be used to further improve child and adolescent mental health services and bring down waiting times. Richard Simpson Can I say to the minister that I fully accept that this is a very challenging area? I welcome the Government introducing the 26-week target and now the 18-week target, but the three health boards in my constituency, Fife, Forth Valley and Tayside, are all still failing to meet the 26-week target. The number of people not being seen over 18 weeks in Tayside has risen from July 2014 at 46 per cent to July 2015 at 65 per cent and now not being seen over 18 weeks. I wonder if you would like to tell me what he is doing about ensuring that Scotland catches up with England and the proportion of funding Scotland spends 0.4 per cent of its budget, England spends 0.7 per cent of its budget, and the Scottish Children's Coalition has said that this is wholly inadequate. I recognise the need for continued investment in mental health services and CAMHS in particular. We have, of course, made available to NHS boards £16.9 million since 2019 to increase the number of psychologists working in spare-less CAMHS and committed another £3.5 million this year. As a result of this investment, we have seen a 70 per cent growth in child psychology posts between October 2009 and December 2014. We continue to invest £2 million per year in tier 3 and tier 4 intensive community CAMHS services. This investment is allowing NHS boards to grow the intensive outreach services. I recognise that. Having set that target, I want to reach that target. I am in constant contact with the boards that are not meeting that target. We continue to work with them and do what we can, but we must place it in some context and recognise the increased demand. We must also recognise the fact that more children and young people are being seen through that service, but we will continue to do what we can to deliver for children and young people. That is why, for example, we have invested £100 million over the next five years that I have already mentioned. Can I say that I welcome the general increase in child and adolescent mental health service staff? That is extremely welcome, but there has not been one additional child psychiatrist appointed since 2008. That means that one of the leading groups in that multidisciplinary team is not, in fact, being increased with a child population increasing at the same time. My big concern at the moment is about those rejections. Those referrals are made by health professionals of various sorts plus educational psychologists. Yet, in Tayside last year, there were 953 of those referrals rejected—650 in five over three years, fourth valley 164 over the last year. What I am concerned about and I would ask the minister to look into is what are the outcomes for those individuals whose health professionals have regarded as appropriate for referral and yet are being rejected. It either means that the protocols are not working or that something is happening in terms of the capacity of the service, but in either case, what is important surely are the outcomes for those children. Will he investigate that now? I would reiterate the point that I made in my initial answer to Dr Simpson, where a request is not deemed suitable for intervention. It will be the case that many are made and it is deemed upon further assessment that they are not suitable for carms. We would expect clinicians to refer the child and appropriate service. I mentioned the additional £100 million, and some of that funding will go to primary care. I think that there is a big role there, for example in helping those who may have had a rejected referral to camps so that we can do more. In the community, Dr Simpson and this whole chamber can be assured of this Government's determination to ensure that we do all that we can to support the children and adolescents who are going through that system. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish Government's refugee task force. Later today, Presiding Officer, I will share the first meeting of the refugee operational task force to provide a co-ordinated response and Scottish response to the global refugee crisis that will focus on the practical issues in the areas of housing, health services, language support, transport, social services and many other issues, to ensure a very positive and welcoming environment for refugees arriving in Scotland. We will also look to harness the public engagement that has been overwhelming in response to that refugee crisis. The task force will have refugees in its membership and will include representatives from local government, refugee organisations and many other stakeholders. The priority of that task force will be to ensure, or I should say the immediate priority, to ensure suitable accommodation and support is available for those arriving, noting in particular that there will be specific needs for some of those, including for example unaccompanied children. The task force meeting comes further to the refugee summit chaired by the First Minister last Friday and attended by party leaders across the chamber. Further to my meeting with the Scottish Refugee Council yesterday. I thank the minister for his very comprehensive response. I thank him on behalf of the many people and groups in my constituency who attended the meeting last Friday. They were full of praise for everyone who attended that meeting. The minister mentioned a co-ordinated approach and people arriving. If the offer of 20,000 refugees from David Cameron over five years is adequate, and if he is aware of a timescale when the refugees will be coming and arriving in Scotland? Any country that is willing to accept refugees should welcome that move. It is an important step. I spoke to the minister for immigration, James Brokenshire, from the UK Government this morning and put in record that I thought it was an important first step. I would say to the member to reassure her that the 20,000 should not be a cap, should not be an upper limit but should be the absolute bare minimum that is done. In the same way, the 1,000 refugees that Scotland is willing to take immediately should not be seen as a cap or an upper limit but should be seen as what we are immediately prepared to do and to take. I would also say that 20,000 over five years, I would hope that the majority of those 20,000s are front-loaded, as many refugee organisations have asked for, because the crisis is imminent and therefore it would be wise to take in as many refugees now as the UK and Scotland are playing a part in that. In terms of the first part of our question regarding co-ordinated response, we will look to ensure that there is a central focal point at the end of the task force meeting whereby we can harness all that public engagement because I know that there are many efforts going up and down that country to see how we can co-ordinate that into one central focal point, but I will be able to say more after the task force is met later today. That is right. Thank you minister. It would be helpful, I think, for everyone in the chamber and outwith if we could have an update on the timescale when people are arriving here in Scotland. The minister mentioned about an update on the task force and co-ordination. Obviously, we are aware of the many groups that have been set up and I know that all of the MSPs have received representation. When you are looking at a co-ordinated approach, if you would look at either a one-stop shop website or a telephone number, because many people have contacted me who are desperate to help the refugees, they are talking about somewhere to store goods, somewhere to even transport those goods to Calais or otherwise as well. In the best answer of everyone, if we could have some update on whether it is going to be a website or a telephone number, where people can have that information as quickly as possible and therefore any goods that is donated can get to reach the refugees as it is intended. I thank the member for her remarks. In terms of timescale, we will continue to push the UK Government to go as quickly as possible, while understanding the complexities of what they are trying to do, particularly with the vulnerable persons relocation scheme, there is a number of criterias attached to that, which the UK Government, quite rightly, has to ensure are met, but, being no doubt, we are working at a pace and trying to push that along as swiftly as possible. To her latter point, I will certainly look at the ideas, and that will be some of the ideas that she has mentioned in terms of websites and other things that will be discussed in the operational task force. It is on the agenda for the operational task force and I will be able to give her an update. Indeed, if the Parliament wishes an update after that meeting, and I would echo finally what Sandra White said in regards to people up and down this country, showing an overwhelming amount of compassion and humanity to help their fellow human beings. From Scotland supports refugees right the way through to Glasgow, welcomes refugees and many other organisations. I commend them for the work that they are doing and for the efforts that they are showing to, as I say, the most vulnerable people in the world. I very much welcome the actions that the minister described in response to Ms White, and I also welcome the U-turn performed by the Prime Minister in this issue. However, his decision to accept 20,000 people over five years from the vulnerable persons relocation scheme does nothing to help those who are in imminent danger and whose situation in Syria is so bad that they are trying to make their escape in overcrowded and inadequate boats. Local authorities like Glasgow are to be congratulated for volunteering to accommodate more of those very vulnerable people, but they will need Government support to do so. The vulnerable persons scheme by definition deals with the elderly, the disabled and those who have been the victims of torture and sexual violence, people with particular support needs. Is the minister confident that the required funding will be available to allow the type of support that such vulnerable people will need will be in place when they begin to arrive in our tents and cities? I thank the member for raising some very important points. On her very first issue, I agree with her entirely that our preference would have been for the UK Government to also take a number of refugees from the southern European coastline—Italy, Greece—and many coming through Hungary as well. We will continue to urge the UK to do that. The continent of the European Union has to look at providing better, legal, safe passages for refugees to come into Europe, and that will be pushing very hard. On her second point, it is well made, and I join her in commending Glasgow City Council for showing a lead not just in this refugee crisis, but in effect to refugees for a number of years. Yes, the discussions around the task force inevitably much of that will be around the financial packages available, understanding that local authorities will be the ones who often will be providing the majority of those services. I am confident that the noises from the UK Government are positive about financial packages. I do not have the detail yet, but I spoke to the minister this morning, but we did not get into that level of detail. Be assured that the Scottish Government, the local government and the UK Government are working very closely to ensure that there are no gaps in service provision. The First Minister herself made an announcement over the weekend that the Scottish Government will put £1 million forward initially in terms of seeing whether we are needed to plug any gaps in service provision. I will have more to update the member on perhaps after the task force meeting. Jim McGregor Thank you. Will the task force work with local authorities in rural areas who may face greater challenges to help refugees due to peripherality and distance from major population centres? What assessment has the task force made of Scotland's preparedness in terms of having adequate Arabic translators to help to support Syrian refugees who may be without English? I think that the member raises an important point. What has been overwhelming is not just the public support but the number of local authorities who have said that they are prepared to be involved in this. After the task force meeting, I will be able to provide an update from COSLA, who will be represented there, on the number of local authorities that are expressed an interest. However, my understanding is that over half of the local authorities in Scotland have expressed some sort of interest in being involved in resettling refugees. I imagine that a number of them would have rural communities in them. We will discuss that. That will be part of the discussion. There is a more academic debate to have over how widely we disperse refugee populations, and that will again be part of the task force discussion. On his second point, I think that it is a very valid one to make. The reason why Glasgow is coming in its own capacity as Glasgow City Council to the task force is because it has a huge amount of expertise and that it has the infrastructure that refugees have taken, and it has been asylum seekers since the year 1999. Therefore, its expertise will be vital in informing other local authorities and the infrastructure, including interpreters, that they have to have in place to ensure that refugees, when they are resettled, are able to have all the services and to have access to services that they need. To ask the Scottish Government what benefits it considers that there will be for Midlothian and the Borders from the Borders railway. Presiding Officer, we believe that the Borders railway will assist in preventing a decline in the Midlothian and Borders populations, as well as acting as a catalyst for encouraging approximately £33 million at 2012 prices of benefits for the wider Scottish economy. It will increase business development and housing opportunities, inward investment, potentially public sector relocation, all for the local community. It has now connected the people of Midlothian and the Scottish Borders to the national rail network, and it will connect communities, encourage more affordable housing, reduce carbon emissions and reduce reliance on the car. I thank the cabinet secretary for his response. I am thrilled after campaigning 16 years in the Borders railway, and I found her member of the cross-party group to be on that train tomorrow. I have got my hat selected. It is understated, as we would expect it to be. I say to the cabinet secretary that there are still opportunities to increase tourist footfall. For example, at Tweedbank, where the signage could be improved to direct travellers to Abbotsford, that has been raised with me. Indeed, in Newton Grange, to the Mining Museum, so can I ask the cabinet secretary to undertake, or his colleague, the Minister for Tourism to see that the very most is made of that journey for tourists and the stops en route? I always expect understatement from the member, but I should say that it is worth pointing out that Christine Grahame herself has campaigned for this for 50 years. People like Petra Beiberback have all played an integral part in the success. It is interesting that success often has many fathers. In this case, there are quite a few mothers that deserve to be paid tribute to as part of the success of the line. In relation to tourism, I can advise that we have taken quite a number of measures to make sure that we do properly exploit the benefits. There is a marketing campaign that will promote the Borders Rail, both nationally and internationally. That is intended to boost tourism investment and associated regeneration in the areas along the entire length of route. There are a number of other transfer tools to initiatives that we are taking in relation to this, because we want to properly exploit that. We are willing to consider any further suggestions in the words of the minister that spoke at time for reflection. The aramint word was if FFA be open, we are certainly open to any suggestions, and that includes to the member or indeed any member that wants to put any proposals that will help us to fully exploit the benefits of this line. Christine Grahame, I also say that it is remiss of me not to mention the Petitions Committee, which really stimulated that. They have taken a bit of a kicking recently, and they do not deserve it, because they were the way pathway into the railway. Can I say to the minister who is working to know about other things? There are teething issues, for example, at the Galashales Transport Interchange, where the electronic information boards have got teeny weeny print. Indeed, the automatic ticket dispensers at Newton Grange need to be calibrated, because you have got the very swift reflexes to work the thing. These all make the journey smooth and make people enjoy it. They are minor, but we could cure them quite easily. Can I ask them to get in touch again with the relevant authorities and make them aware of them? If I get any more little issues, I will raise them with them another time. I am grateful to the member for feedback. I should just say that ScotRail staff are aware of the issue in relation to the automatic ticket dispensers. I think that there is a huge amount of new plans, as well as the line itself, and there will inevitably be some snagging issues, but those are being dealt with. I think that we all hope for the best of possible days tomorrow, which will be a fantastic day for the borders. I can confirm to the chamber that, in the various events that I have been involved in in the past week or so, there is real excitement and pride in the new border railway in Scotland. I welcome the cabinet secretary's remarks about openness, which is certainly something to build on from the past in terms of the cross-party work on the issue. I also welcome the thrilling sight of the passengers' full trains going down to Tweedbank and back. I recognise Scottish Government's work and those of other agencies, and certainly the campaign for borders rail. Will the cabinet secretary also acknowledge the contribution that is made by Scottish Labour in the development and vision of the process over the years? Now that we have together secured steam trains and some cycle space for tourism, will he comment on the future of rail freight for the borders and for Scotland, and possibly even on the extension of the line to Carlyle? As with everyone else that contributed, I know that the member herself made representations along with others such as Christine Grahame on the issue of tourist trains, which we were able to accommodate. I recognise the efforts of her and her colleagues in relation to the possible extension. We really have to see how the line works. We are very confident in its success, but we have to see how it works. We have gone beyond that and said that if the local council, as they have said, or the local transport partnership, are looking to do a feasibility study for a potential future extension, we will help out with that. I will make sure that Transport Scotland and agencies of Government provide any support necessary to carry out that feasibility study. One of the points that was made by another campaigner was that that should also take into account the potential for freight, because it may not be the case that you can get a case sufficiently strong with just passenger numbers. Of course, that will be in the hands of those who are taking forward the feasibility study, but I would say to the member that we are more than happy, as I have said, and committed to the idea that Transport Scotland will help out in that process. I look forward to the train journey tomorrow, albeit I will probably not be wearing such a fancy hat as Christine Grahame. I might borrow it. The former First Minister said that the border rail link would serve as a catalyst for the restoration of the historic route right through to Carlyle. I have been interested to hear from the cabinet secretary today at what stage his Government would see appropriate to step in to look at a timetable for a feasibility study and to see what economic benefits would be underlined by not just the former First Minister, but also the leaders of both the Scottish Borders Council and even Carlyle City Council. The member's question just prompted me to say that we also owe some thanks to the very cooperative relationship that we have had with the councils, especially the Borders Council, in relation not just to the line, but to the events that have led up to tomorrow, where the Queen will formally open the new line. I recognise the effort that they made, a very good relationship in particular with David Parker of Borders Council. In relation to the extension—possible extension—I have just laid out the position of the Scottish Government. The council and the transport partnership may well come forward with a proposal for a feasibility study. They said that they are interested in doing that. What I have said, building on the comments of the former First Minister, is that we will provide every assistance with that. I will also repeat to Claudia Beamish that, as well as looking at possible passenger numbers, which is a challenge because of the nature of the terrain that it goes through, that should also look in my view—as I suggested by others—at freight. However, the important thing is that we get this off to a good start. We are using tomorrow a very old steam engine in the union of South Africa. All the efforts just now are on making sure that that makes a journey, given some of the passengers that it will be carrying. It is very important, including my boss. We also have to concentrate on making sure that that is success. The bread and butter line is the fact that services start from Edinburgh or Tweedbank and get to the other side efficiently and reliably. We have to concentrate on doing that and maximising the use of that particular line, first of all. Thank you. We now move on to the next item of business, which is a debate on motion number 14156, in the name of John Swinney on progress in the Scottish economy. Members who wish to take part in the debate.