 The next item of business is a member's business debate on motion 6107, in the name of Rachel Hamilton, on supporting mental health in rural communities. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put, but I'd ask members who wish to participate to press the request-to-speak buttons now or as soon as possible. I call Rachel Hamilton to open the debate around 7... Point of order, Finlay Carson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'm struggling to hear. I wonder whether we could have the volume in the chamber. Your mic's very quiet. I will speak up, and hopefully that will improve the situation, Mr Carson. With that, I call Rachel Hamilton to open the debate around 7 minutes, Ms Hamilton. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and it is a privilege to be able to bring forward this motion for debate today. On a topic that I know members and colleagues joining me in the chamber are incredibly supportive of, and I thank them for that. During yesterday's rural question sessions, we heard the Cabinet Secretary speak genuinely about Rasby and the National Rural Mental Health Forum in response to a question from my colleague Alexander Stewart. Her response to my colleague's question showed that we can discuss this issue without scoring political points. This is an issue on which politicians can agree, and that is exactly what I hope to achieve from today's debate. Last May, alongside my colleague Craig Hoy, we hosted a round table on this issue with a wide group of stakeholders from rural industries and third sector organisations such as SLE, Age Scotland, the Poverty Alliance, the Countryside Alliance and the Alliance attended. It was clear from this meeting that there was so much more that we could do to support their work. We identified the need to tackle the stigma around mental health, as well as the importance of early intervention. However, those issues are universal. The key takeaway from the discussion for me was that rural communities face entirely different challenges in terms of their mental health than cities, and our response to those challenges must be sensitive to that. There is also a growing recognition that rural contexts can be overlooked in the design of mental health services. That led to the creation of the National Rural Mental Health Forum, and I welcome Jim Hume to the gallery today. The Cabinet Secretary outlined the £50,000 worth of support that the Scottish Government was providing them, but we all got the sense that she wished that she could go further with that. People living in rural areas, farmers, crofters and agricultural workers often find it difficult to access mental health care. Like others across Scotland, they experience depression, suicidal thoughts and feelings, self-harming behaviour and anxiety, no matter their age, gender or location. On top of that, remoteness, isolation and small-town stigma can exacerbate those problems. As can the occupational challenges of rural workers, big gamekeepers, for example, who face vitriol and abuse on a daily basis for simply doing their jobs, looking after the countryside. They must also contend with the threat of losing their livelihoods looming over their head as a result of the strict but necessary management of gun licences. All the while, their working life could see them go days without seeing another person. It is those challenges that led us to call the Government to establish a rural workers task force to look at ways of supporting those workers with their mental health. I was encouraged, as I think we all were, when the former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, committed to looking again at those proposals. I know that things have changed a little in government since then, and such commitments come full by the wayside. However, the last few years have been tough for people living in rural areas. I will give way. I am most grateful to Rachael Hamilton for what she said thus far. Does she also recognise that the work of the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution, our SABI, is critical and very practical and carried out by volunteers who really help to provide assistance to farmers and crofters, in particular, who live remotely and may not see anybody for weeks at end, and provide invaluable support to people in those predicaments throughout rural Scotland? I thank Fergus Ewing for his intervention, and I completely agree that RASB does such good work. I will mention it a little bit later, because it is some of the work that they are doing that has formed the basis for some of the proposals that I will be talking about today. I was just talking about the challenges that farmers and rural workers have been facing, not only through Covid, making sure that we have got food on our plates, but also having to work every single day and not be able to take a day off. They have also faced increasing energy costs and input costs due to Putin's invasion in Ukraine. Those costs have had to be absorbed by people working in the agricultural sector, which has caused a huge financial strain on the balance sheet. That is why I and my party have taken the initiative and produced our own detailed proposals to establish a Scottish rural mental health task force. I will explain a little bit more as I go through, but our plan is going to be able to ensure that rural GP provision is placed on a sustainable footing to bolster mental health services in rural communities. It will create a network of mental health first-aiders by training residents, neighbours, local clubs, professionals such as vets, feed merchants and rural sales representatives, so that farmers and rural workers with whom they frequently engage can get the best and maximum benefit from that interaction. The mental health first-aiders would be able to be trained to identify signs of poor mental health and encourage mental health training among rural workers. We have established a short-term working life group to launch a viable and collaborative way to deliver that ambition. I would, of course, be delighted to discuss those proposals further with the Cabinet Secretary and her colleagues in Government. For all that we disagree on, I know that mental health is a matter that this Government does take seriously, but the Government is only one piece of the puzzle. At the NFU's annual dinner earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to be sat next to Mark Gascoing, who is the original founder of Farmstrong from New Zealand. Of course, that has been established in Scotland now, but I talked to him at length about his organisation's work in supporting farmers' wellbeing. I also want to thank Virgin Money, which might sound slightly unusual and an unlikely contributor to a parliamentary brief on this particular debate, but they were a partner with Farmstrong and funded the roadshow throughout Scotland. Undoubtedly, that was fostered through their relationship with the previous bank, the Clydesdale bank, who had a very strong relationship with the agricultural sector and worked across the countryside. It was the conversation with Mark Gascoing that strengthened my resolve to bring this debate to the chamber today to discuss what more we can do to tackle the issues of which we are discussing. We are also joined today by representative from Raspberry, from Change Mental Health, from the NFUS and the SLE, who have also undertaken fantastic work to tackle this issue. Their role and the role of the third sector and rural organisations cannot be understated. Whether it is specific services, signposting or simply the presence of someone to talk to, their work is absolutely vital. I am delighted that they have joined us today for the debate. I have talked at length about the issue at hand on our plan to tackle, but I want to finish on a more personal note. The British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy were kind enough to prepare a briefing for this debate today, which drew attention to the higher burden of depression amongst women working in agriculture compared to men. Before entering politics, I was an agronomist visiting farms across Scotland and the north of England. For many of the farmers that I worked with, there is no doubt that I was the only person that they had spoken to in any given day. Can you imagine that? Poor things. For me, they must have been literally the only person that I spoke to, perhaps for that week. I was one of two women in my role out of 100 across the UK, which brought its own challenges. I had long days with little interaction with others and dealing with the odd throwaway comment about being a woman in agriculture. It is so easy to see how these things can build up to the point where it becomes difficult to cope. I am sorry that I do not have any more time to mention young farmers. I hope that some of my colleagues will mention that today, because they too are their challenges with social isolation as well. I was thankful to have a fantastic support network around me from anything happening to me, but not everybody is so lucky. I hope that we can work together to make things better. I congratulate Rachel Hamilton on securing this debate. It is a really important issue and Ms Hamilton has highlighted that very well. As an MP covering a large rural area, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, I am aware of the challenges that rurality can pose to positive mental health but also the benefits that it can bring. I am also aware, as the motion states, of the increased challenges that our farming community faces, the Ukraine war and the cost crisis. They have all added increased stress, as well as leaving the EU. That has already been said, but it is worth repeating that the evidence does show us that people in rural Scotland are more likely than others to experience depression, suicidal thoughts and feelings, self-harm and behaviour and anxiety, no matter their age, gender or location. It is worth repeating that. They are at a higher risk of becoming isolated and worsened by remoteness, stigma and fear, and stigma is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. It is right that we take all action possible to support the health and wellbeing of our rural communities. 98 per cent of Scotland's land mass is rural, 17 per cent of Scotland's population lives in rural Scotland and just under 1 million people live in rural Scotland. A lack of anonymity has been identified as a barrier to people seeking help at early stage in rural areas. Evidence from change mental health, formally supported in mind, shows that people in rural Scotland want support to be low-level in non-clinical and informal settings and be delivered by people who are trusted and local networks. Services need to be close to the place of need, designed to include mobile and digital services and outreach. The outreach approach must recognise the significant stress of travelling to appointments for those with poor mental health. I would therefore ask the cabinet secretary if further targeted advertising and engagement across rural Scotland can take place to promote means through which people can access support and to promote the wider message of it's okay, not to be okay. I am aware of the research from Rosabrie, which shows that the Scottish index of multiple deprivation struggles to identify people living in deprivation in rural areas. That can lead to some believing that living in rural Scotland is a rural ideal, which in fact deprivation and poverty exist and is becoming increasingly exacerbated. Low-swage economies are in rural areas of Scotland and 9 out of 10 people who are income deprived do not live in a recognised deprived area. Evidence suggests that people living in rural areas experience deprivation differently from those living in towns and cities. Particular issues in rural areas include higher consumption of fuel for heating and transport. I am a member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly. We are doing an economy committee inquiry at the moment. It is absolutely highlighting that one of the main challenges is the fuel for oil heating, which is a major issue that can contribute to poorer mental health. Emma Harper agrees that we need to do a lot better at creating the parity that should exist between physical and mental health services, because that does not exist in rural areas for sure, but it does not exist in much of Scotland. Does she agree that we should unite to see improvement rapidly? I am also a member of the Health and Sport Committee and I am a nurse. A lot of the work that I do as former co-convener of the mental health cross-party group talks about parity that we need to do. There is a lot of work going on, so I would support what the member is asking for, but I know that there is a lot of work under way right now, especially in the work that I am doing in Parliament. We know that less accessibility to key services such as childcare, broadband and transport links can also be a challenge. Limited opportunities to earn adequate income compared to urban areas is part of the issue. I am conscious of time, but I am aware from my own case work that there are many issues that need to be supported. I also want to give a nod to former MSP Jim Hume and Keira McDermott, who are in chamber this afternoon from Change Mental Health, so I welcome them to the gallery today. There is so much work that I could talk about as well, and I know that Rosabi has been highlighted already, and there is another fantastic charity operating to support those in our agricultural communities. We must collectively work to tackle that in all our areas, including our rural areas. I thank Rachel Hamilton for bringing such an important topic to the chamber today, and I thank her for shining a light on what is often a hidden epidemic. Both Rachel Hamilton and I represent areas with large remote and rural populations. More than half of Aberdeenshire's population live in rural areas, and that compares to around only 17% for the rest of Scotland. The reality is that mental health interventions have often been developed through the lens of urban populations. What works in Glasgow will not necessarily work in Glenburby. It is vital that policy makers recognise the unique nature of mental health in rural and farming communities so that we can better respond to it. That is why the advocacy of organisations such as the National Farmers Union Scotland, the Farm Safety Foundation and the Countryside Alliance, as well as the work of academic institutions such as Robert Gordon University in my region, are so important. In the north-east, more than 22,000 people are employed in the food, drink and agricultural sectors, but the awful reality is that agricultural workers are amongst the highest suicide rates in the UK, and sadly one farmer dies every week by suicide. Farmers often work, as we've heard today, in isolation with loneliness frequently affecting their mental health. Finance worries, especially with the input-price inflation, can weigh heavily on their minds. The 2021 documentary, Anurthing Farming Lives, which was conceived by several organisations in north-east Scotland, thoughtfully examines these issues. The north-east has also suffered from the recent avian flu outbreak, resulting in the deaths of thousands of hens, a devastating loss for businesses. While spring heralds the lambing and carving season, there are associated pressures and stresses for farmers. Lifestop worrying can have a devastating impact on the mental health of farmers, with the horrendous case recently of one dog mawling 17 lambs to death in five and four lambs in Murray. Farming, as we've heard today, can be both physically and psychologically tough. We must continue to work to break down barriers, of course. Emma Harper. I thank Tess Wight for giving way. You mentioned livestock worrying. It's great that we raise awareness at any opportunity about livestock attacks. Would she agree that the changes to the legislation that I brought forward in the member's bill will help to raise awareness of livestock worrying so that we can try to reduce those incidences? I thank Emma Harper for raising that. I think that anything to stop this from happening is to be applauded. I'd also like to say that the behaviour of dog walkers is also very important to keep dogs on leads at this time of year. We must continue to break down barriers such as loneliness, as I've said, that might prevent farmers and agricultural community from accessing help. It's good to know, as we've heard today, that young farmers are doing a lot of good work and they're piloting a Thrive Mental Well-being app that provides live access to qualified therapists who can give advice. They can give advice on many things and especially mental health. We need to look more closely at those kind of initiatives. Two final comments, Presiding Officer. Accessing appropriate NHS services to support their mental health can be challenging for people residing in rural and remote communities. We know, sadly, that there's a shortage of GPs and other clinicians in rural areas, something the Scottish Government urgently needs to address to prevent the collapse of rural health care. It's good today that Mary Gougeon MSP is here to hear my next comment because Angus mental health patients have also been badly let down by the closure of the Mulbury unit at Strathrow hospital in 2018, meaning that patients have had to travel and do have to travel miles to a facility in Dundee where the Strang report has revealed serious systemic issues with mental health services. Residents in Angus feel deeply let down by that decision and I hope that the minister will address those points in her closing. I thank Rachael Hamilton for bringing this important debate forward. I was aware of Rachael Hamilton's knowledge and thoughts in that area, but your contribution was really good and well received. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate on behalf of Scottish Labour. Like many in the chamber, I represent a rural region in South Scotland and I recognise much of what is in the motion for debate today. The agricultural industry is undoubtedly one of the most challenged out there, whether it is the weather, supply chain issues, uncertainty following the war in Ukraine or soaring energy prices. Farmers, farm workers and crofters are constantly battling the various factors that affect their livelihood and businesses. With long hours, financial pressures and often isolated workplaces, farmers and the agricultural workforce are more susceptible to their mental health being under strain. According to the Office for National Statistics, as we have heard, the suicide rate for the male farm workers is three times the male national average. That is a worrying figure and I believe that one that has persisted over a long period of time and it shows the importance of giving particular focus to improving rural mental health. It is a devastating statistic that we must all take very seriously. Many of the studies that we have heard that I came across while I was preparing for today's debate highlight the wide range of mental health challenges that are facing people in rural Scotland. Alarmily, in this area, there is the false conclusion of the idyllic countryside lifestyle that is moving to the country for a better life, the kind of thing that we see on the TV, which is just not a reality for so many people. I welcome the fact that mental health in rural communities is receiving more attention and it appears that we are beginning to turn the corner in recognising its vital importance to the wellbeing of countryside communities. However, let me be clear that recognition on its own will not push the needle forward. It will require considerable and targeted campaigning, as we have heard, and investment over a long period of time. It is a long-term commitment that we need to this issue. Indeed, although investment in mental health services is necessary, that will not deliver the changes that we need to see alone. We do require a strong economy that delivers for rural areas and improves the likelihood of not only mental wellbeing but physical and social and economic wellbeing—absolutely essential, of course. She is making a very important point about the needs for us to revitalise rural life in the rural economy. One of the key infrastructure projects around that is the extension of full coverage of 5G and full fibre broadband. That one infrastructure project in itself has the power to transform not just the rural economy and rural life but tackle also the issues of isolation and loneliness. Does she agree? I absolutely agree. I was fully behind a commitment in 2019 from the Labour Party, when we talked about internet being the equivalent of libraries of the early 20th century. It opens up opportunities for people, both for business but absolutely for that isolation. Of course, we all would agree that the pandemic proved that without a doubt. We need to get that infrastructure work done and we need to prioritise areas that would make the biggest difference. For too long, we have focused overly on urban areas. Tess brought forward a very good point about how we manage services in that way while we have forgotten some of our rural economies. In the interests of time, I have some of the points that Emma Harper has raised around how we make sure that we have good services for people and that people can see the benefit of meeting up in places to go. I believe that good public services in rural areas is so important. To conclude, I want to thank everybody for their contribution. The notion that we should be working together to make that happen is so important. Thank you, Ms Mocken. I now call Donald Cameron to be followed by Beatrice Wishart in four minutes, Mr Cameron. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I refer to my register of interests and farming, crofting and shooting and deer stalking therein? Can I also thank Rachel Hamilton for securing this debate? There have been many excellent speeches so far, each looking at this issue slightly differently. Rachel Hamilton mentioned young farmers and how right she was to focus on them. Of course, it goes without saying that young farmers are the future of farming, and it is absolutely right that their mental health, in particular, should be a focus of this debate. In every rural debate that we have, we often rightly pay tribute to the ways in which farmers, crofters, growers, gamekeepers and others manage the land, and we talk about how they have adapted to the need to reduce carbon emissions and to do things more efficiently to meet the new environmental challenges. We applaud the ingenuity of those in rural Scotland who have driven diversification in agricultural business to become more sustainable. However, we rarely acknowledge the individuals behind all of this and, more importantly, their own wellbeing. As others have said, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution's big farming survey found that 36 per cent of the UK's farming community are probably or possibly depressed, and many do not seek mental health support due to the stigma attached to it. The levels of depression vary among different farming sectors, but the second highest group in that study were grazing livestock farmers from quote less favoured areas, which is a particular concern to me representing the highlands and islands, where that land status predominates. The reasons for these figures are of course multifaceted, and many speakers have developed arguments about them today. Isolation in long working hours has been mentioned as a key reason for poor mental health in the agricultural sector, and NFUS Scotland has noted that farmers face increasing input costs, market volatility and so on. In another context, some rural workers experience threats and abuse. BASC Scotland has highlighted Scottish Government recent research, which found that 64 per cent—almost two thirds—of gamekeepers in Scotland experience threatening behaviour or abuse from members of the public at least once a year. We also have to be cognisant that access to mental health services remains difficult for many people across Scotland and especially in rural Scotland. Recent data shows that, in the NHS Highland area alone, almost three quarters of adults are waiting longer than 18 weeks for mental health treatment. Nearly half of those waiting to be seen have waited longer than a year. In our island communities, those waiting times are just as stark. In the western isles, half of adults are waiting longer than 18 weeks, and in Shetland almost 40 per cent are waiting longer than 18 weeks. We cannot sweep that under the carpet. Tess Wright was absolutely right to talk about this. There has to be swift, effective action to bring down these waiting times so that those who need specialist support can be seen in our rural communities as a matter of urgency. That is not just a role for the NHS to play. We know that there are many organisations who do fantastic work to support agricultural work, as they have been mentioned already. I will mention them again, because they absolutely deserve it. NFUS, BAS Scotland, Change Mental Health and Scottish Land in the States all do fantastic work to support the mental health of their members and others. Our agricultural workers and land managers are, as others have said, the custodians, the guardians of the Scottish countryside. They do fantastic work, often not recognised and without them Scotland would be a poorer nation, but warm words do little for those who often work in difficult conditions through long hours and with a multitude of challenges facing them. All of us here do more, much more, to support and nourish those in our rural workforce when it comes to their mental health. I thank and congratulate Rachael Hamilton for bringing this important debate to the chamber this afternoon. There is a mental health crisis in Scotland and there was long before the pandemic, and it affects people from all walks of life. In the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, I think that we could all be forgiven for feeling anxious. While many of us have the option to focus on other matters, while the conflict continues, crofters, farmers and agriculture workers in Scotland are plowing on quite literally. As the motion highlights, there has been a vast rise in inflation on the products and services needed to provide food on our tables. And the conflict in Ukraine has contributed to inflation rise alongside the impact of Brexit and a slowdown of the world economy due to Covid-19. Farmers cannot escape the growing impact of inflation. They are doing all they can to cope with financial pressures, ensuring that high-quality produce is available at affordable prices and in fulsome supply. Business is at risk from multiple factors. Leaving Europe has not only meant an impact on inflation and that there are fewer workers coming forward to pick produce, but there is new uncertainty about the future of farming payments. We are also seeing increasing criminal behaviour that impacts financial stability, such as fly-tipping, theft and damage, and irresponsible access in the countryside, threatening the welfare of livestock, widog attacks and people leaving gates open. People do not seem to understand the impact of those actions. The pressure is on, and it is on those working to produce food, not just the physical toll of working all hours in all weathers, supporting the environment as well as their families and wider food supply chain, but the anxiety and worry about the increasing pressures that I have just described. More support is needed to address the underlying concerns that can contribute to poor mental health, while lack of anonymity in rural Scotland is known to be a barrier to people seeking help at an early stage. Crofters, farmers and agriculture workers often work alone too, increasing the impact of loneliness, which can be a major contributor to poor mental health. More widely in rural areas, one in 10 rural jobs is based on an estate business, and those businesses are also feeling the pressure. Any impact on them could see a knock-on effect of unemployment across a community, and those communities face unique challenges of rural deprivation such as higher fuel costs and poor public transport options. Scotland's islands are some of the places with highest levels of fuel poverty. The winter has been tough, and the weather does not necessarily allow for the heating to be turned off even in summer. The cross-party group on poverty has opened an inquiry into rural poverty and is encouraging people to share their experiences and views, and more information can be found on the poverty alliance website. Attracting local health and social care staff to live and work in rural and island areas, as I raised in the chamber yesterday, is challenging and impacts physical and mental health service provision. Poor connectivity, as others have said, makes seeking help or travelling to services more difficult. Communities in the north isles of Shetland, for example, face multiple ferry journeys to reach services on mainland Shetland, while poor broadband connections, or often a complete lack of any digital connectivity or mobile signal, make it impossible to access online therapeutic services, national infrastructure that should be available to all, regardless of geography. However, as the motion reminds us, there is support out there. Several organisations are working to provide tailored support for rural communities, and all those are mentioned in the motion. To conclude, Presiding Officer, I commend the groups that provide tailored and person-centred support to rural communities. The final speaker in the open debate, Finlay Carson, is widely accepted that people in rural Scotland are more likely to experience depression, suicidal thoughts and a higher risk of self-harming behaviour. No matter their age, gender or even location, there is every chance that they will feel isolated, often worsened by remoteness and fear of stigma. There is a need for more chances to engage before more individuals and there is a wider mental health crisis. That engagement that we need could simply take the form of a low-level, local, non-clinical setting with shorter waiting times and a mobile outreach to parts of Scotland, which would play a huge part in critical prevention of mental health. It is, after all, everyone's business to tackle mental health and the excellent work of the National Rural Mental Health Forum is vital in driving that forward. I am pleased to see some of the members of the forum in the chamber today, including Jim Hume, who served in the floor of the chamber and continues to champion rural Scotland. The forum is a dedicated network of over 230 organisations from third-sector, private and public sector, with an outreach of over half a million people living in rural Scotland, including my constituency of Galloway and Western Fries. Essentially, it drives change to enable rural people to be open about their mental health by creating a solid evidence base for that work, which is needed to improve people's lives. Importantly, the forum has developed a programme to influence policy makers to channel resources in a way that brings positive change through a network of rural organisations across Scotland. Any action to tackle mental health topics and issues in rural communities, I would strongly suggest, must also do in close and continued collaboration with the forum if we are able to seriously address the problem. Lack of anonymity has been identified as a barrier to people seeking help at an early stage, and that is something that we seriously need to tackle. We must create ways for people to connect with one another before their personal crisis occurs. As I have argued on a new unification, services need to be close to the place of need, designed to include mobile and digital services that we have already heard, as well as outreach. However, the outreach approach must also recognise the significant stress of travelling to appointments for those with poor mental health. Mental health care must be mainstreamed within the NHS and simply not a bolt-on, as it too often is, and there must be parity between mental and physical health. Crucially, there must also be an increased focus on the need of our children and young people by providing greater resources in order to reduce waiting times that we have heard in this debate already, especially in relation to self-harming. I think that we all recognise the important role that the forum has played in tackling mental health through sharing best practice, encouraging collaboration, raising awareness and informing policy and gathering research. It played a crucial role during the Covid-19 pandemic that had such a negative impact on the wellbeing, particularly on the Scottish rural population. Of course, it is now having to deal with the cost of living crisis, especially as the low-wage economy is so much the norm in rural areas. Evidence suggests that people face greater anxiety than most because of higher heating and transport costs and less accessible key services that include childcare and welfare broadband. There is also a limited opportunity to boost their income compared to urban areas. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the scheme that was introduced in 2020 by the Stewartie Rugby Club. We have two members here today. A few years ago, two members tragically took their own lives. On the back of that scheme was set up and included engagement with Glasgow warriors to help coaches, players and members who were experiencing mental health issues or emotional distress. Good mental health is promoted on par with good physical health, and the players are encouraged to speak out even if they are just having a bad day. We have strived to ensure that everybody in the club is involved in recognising that health and the broadest sense is important, whether that be physical or mental health. On the back of what the club we are doing, I facilitated a meeting of what was very loosely called the Stewartie Mental Health Forum, a group made up of a range of mental health organisations to ensure that we could encourage people to have the covenants to be aware of the appropriate methods of first engagement and simply to be able to speak to someone who may be experiencing low mental health. We know how important the first responder is, and we know that research shows that someone with poor mental health may only take three chances to reach out. We must make sure that we get it right. The Scottish Conservatives want to see a network of trained mental health advisers created across Scotland and the heart of our rural communities to include any few members, young farmers, sales reps, auction mark workers, coach sports, just to name a few, trained to spot early signs and symptoms of poor mental health and assess the risk of suicide and self-harm while encouraging that person to access appropriate professional support on a confidential basis. I look forward to working with Rachel Hamilton and others to see how we can further support groups and individuals across Scotland. I thank Rachel Hamilton for bringing forward the debate, which has given us all an opportunity to talk about the hugely important issue of mental health in our rural communities. I also want to echo Carol Malkin's points about the genuine open approach that you have taken to the debate and the tone that you have set for the discussion today, which I very much welcome. I also welcome the chance to set out the Scottish Government's work on rural mental health and to discuss the challenges that people in rural areas face, because those are issues that I personally care about representing a rural constituency. Tess White mentioned in her contribution the Mulberry unit, and I know that she will no doubt be aware of the campaign that I had specifically on that, which is why that issue of equality of access for our rural communities is one that is particularly close to my heart. Rural Scotland and our agricultural community is based upon strength and the bonds of support. Farmers and crofters already know the value of supporting each other during the good times and at times of difficulty, but, as we have heard today, that is really difficult, given the isolation that people experience precisely because of where they live and where they work. As we have heard in the chamber today, particularly by Emma Harper and by Finlay Carson, mental health is everyone's business, and our rural economy is only as healthy as the individuals in communities who help to drive it forward. The motion mentions some of the issues impacting rural Scotland, and I know from my own work as Cabinet Secretary about some of the particular challenges that our land-based workers and communities have faced and those challenges that they continue to face. We cannot underplay the many challenges for Scotland's rural island and coastal communities and businesses, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, Brexit and the cost of living crisis, and also in the wake of global trends such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food and energy insecurity. In trying to address those issues, the First Minister recently set out his vision for Scotland and the outcomes that we aim to achieve as a Government. We will use the powers that we have in Scotland to try and tackle poverty in all its forms and to protect people across our country as far as we possibly can from the impacts of the ongoing cost of living crisis. I want to briefly set out a couple of examples of how we are trying to address some of those challenges. One such example is the islands cost crisis emergency fund, which we launched last year, which recognises the distinct and particular challenges that are faced by our island communities, which were also highlighted by Rachel Hamilton in her comments and which Beatrice Wishart outlined in her contribution today. In relation to our agriculture sector and in response to war in Ukraine, we established a food security and supply task force together with industry, specifically to monitor and identify any potential disruption that there would be resulting from the impact of that. Recognising the challenges that our supply chains had also faced in recent years, pandemic, Brexit and the resulting vulnerabilities that were in turn exacerbated by that illegal war. That work produced a number of recommendations that we have taken forward and implemented, but I think that all of those challenges show us in the round. What they really do is call on us to act and they call on us to act now collectively and to really look across and beyond our policy boundaries. I really just want to turn now to the other substantive part of Rachel Hamilton's motion in relation to mental health and the support there. The motion recognises and welcomes the important work that is being done by NFUS, Countryside Alliance, the Mental Health Foundation, SLE, National Rural Mental Health Forum and the Poverty Alliance. As we have also heard from the various contributions around the chamber today, it is also vitally important that we recognise the role that organisations such as RSABI, the work that they do, the work that is being done by the Scottish Association of Young Farmers, the Scottish Crofting Federation and all those other agricultural organisations and businesses here too. The role of supporting businesses such as vet practices, marts, feed merchants and machinery rings all have an important role to play in providing that first line of mental health support to farmers and crofters. I think that we also need to recognise our own role here as Scottish Government as an organisation that operates in rural Scotland. Arpit offices, area offices and the sub offices, along with the APHA offices, exist to support farmers and crofters. I know that rural vets in particular do have a very demanding job with the pressures of providing a 24-hour emergency response service, and they are often working alone while helping farmers and crofters in a wide range of difficult situations. That has been recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Mind Matters initiative, which provides that support to improve mental health in all parts of the veterinary profession, and it is currently introducing further support for vets in rural areas. A lot is already happening to support rural wellbeing, and we are proud to support a range of initiatives through RSABI and the National Rural Mental Health Forum. Last financial year, we committed £50,000 to supporting RSABI taking the total Scottish Government's support to over £500,000. I think that it is also really important to outline the kind of support that RSABI are able to offer. They provide that emotional support through a 24-7 helpline and web chat. They also provide a wide range of practical support, including on welfare benefits, business reviews, debt signposting and counselling in mediation services, and financial support, which can include monthly payments and potentially single grants for essential items, including food, heating, counselling, disability aids, funerals and retraining, as well as items for the home. They are also undertaking fantastic work with the development of a Thrive wellbeing app, which includes a live therapist function. I know that three young farmers clubs in Scotland are trialling this, and the initial results from that are really encouraging. The charity works with... I can give you the time back, cabinet secretary. Emma Harper. I will be really quick. If you mentioned the apps and work that has been done already, I know that you will be aware that NHS... To the chair, please, Ms Harper. I know that the cabinet secretary will be aware that NHS Inform has apps and web info, SilverCloud, Delight and Sleepio. Does she agree that, if we raise awareness of work that is already underway out there as well, that can help with early interventions? Yes, I do, and I appreciate the member raising that important point that she has covered, which means that I no longer have to. We need to do what we can to raise awareness of those apps and the support that is available to us. I also want to recognise, though, the work that the SAYFC has done. They run an establishment mental health support service for young people, which is called RUOK. Launched in 2016, the campaign was initially only to run for 12 months, but it was soon realised that it should become a permanent feature. It raises awareness on mental health and wellbeing with the SAYFC members sharing their own experiences. I also want to mention the National Rural Mental Health Forum. It has a wide reach, and it brings together over 230 organisations, charities, businesses, research organisations and individuals to focus on knowledge exchange and sharing experience and learning about mental health and wellbeing in rural areas and ensuring that that rural voice is heard in policy making. I know that Rachael Hamilton touched on that, and I am so glad that she did. That was to mention the work of Farmstrong, the farmer-led wellbeing programme. I was also delighted to get the opportunity to meet Mark Gaskell, the NFUSAGM, in February, while he was completing his tour of Scotland, supporting farmers to ultimately to live well, as well as to farm well. In drawing to a close, I want to reiterate my commitment to ensuring that rural communities have the on-going support that they need through the interventions that we have discussed here today. I think that we do have opportunities to do more through our plan for rural Scotland, which the First Minister had outlined, too. I also want to close by expressing my genuine and my heartfelt thanks to those organisations that we have talked about today. I know that Jim Hume is here from the National Rural Mental Health Forum. I can see Karen McLaren in the gallery as well from RSAPI, NFUS, SLE. I just really to say a huge thank you for the invaluable support that you provide and the work that you continue to do in our rural communities. And I suppose just a final word, I think, to anyone who feels that they are struggling at the moment, to really just encourage them to please talk and please reach out, because all of the organisations that we've mentioned here today and that we've discussed here today are here to listen and they are here to help. Thank you. Thank you, cabinet secretary. That concludes the debate, and I suspend this meeting in Parliament until 2.30.