Why its budget for mental wellbeing remains at £6.3 million until 2011.

The budget of £6.3million funds national activity in support of local delivery of objectives.
Recent significantand sustained investment in mental wellbeing has allowed a strong momentum to buildup across Scotland through the Scottish Government’s nationalleadership and support. For example, this has included step changes in action onraising awareness of positive mental health and wellbeing, on promoting and supportingrecovery from mental ill-health, on suicide prevention and on elimination of stigmaand discrimination around mental illness.
Our focus in SpendingReview 2007 – and in Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland, our currentdiscussion paper outlining theproposed future direction for mental health improvement and population mental healthfor 2008-11, is on a significant shift in emphasis from predominantly national supportactivity to local action. The budget which we announced recently for national-ledwork remains at a significant level and will allow continued progress on improvingthe mental health and wellbeing of all who live in Scotland; it is complementedby other government funding to NHS boards for mental health services and bygovernment funding to charitable organisations which undertake national work inthe mental health field. Government funding to local authorities for mental healthhas been rolled into local authorities’ total funding. We will work with localauthorities and our other partners to ensure that mental health remains a priority.
In addition, manyactivities that are funded through other budget lines, such as promotion of physicalactivity, healthy working lives, access to the arts and creativity, and communityregeneration, also incorporate aspects that can contribute to improved mental wellbeing.