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Collaboration is a key part of this policy. We have been working closely with a range of stakeholders including midwives, health visitors, other health professionals and our third sector partners. We have also commissioned research with parents themselves to better understand what they would find most useful about the Baby Box and which items they’d like to see included. This research will allow us to provide an update following the pilot phase which will be completed in March 2017.

I gave evidence to the Health and Sport Committee on 29 November 2016 as part of the Committee's Inquiry into mental health. During that session, the Committee requested that publication of the new Mental Health Strategy be withheld to allow Committee's report on the issue to be taken into account. I indicated to the convener that I was sympathetic to that request, and on that basis, the Scottish Government has agreed to withhold publication of the next Mental Health Strategy until early 2017.

Decisions on the remaining funding will be taken in due course. It remains that the balance funding will support the priorities in our forthcoming Mental Health Strategy, to ensure we continue to improve access to services – including for children and young people – but also increase support for early intervention and prevention, to support people to keep well. This will include investment in early years; primary care, and parity of esteem between physical and mental health. We will take such future decisions in conjunction with our stakeholders and partners.

Guidance for the mental health innovation fund was provided in the letter requesting proposals which was sent to range of stakeholders, including NHS boards, on 20 March 2015. The priority areas for this fund are CAMHS, and to develop innovative approaches to delivering mental health services.

The majority of the mental health innovation fund (£4.2 million in each year) will be allocated to NHS boards. NHS boards will be expected to work with their partners in local government and the third sector to develop and deliver the proposals. The indicative split between access to CAMHS and innovation is 50/50. However, NHS boards and partners have discretion to alter this in line with demonstrable local priorities.

The majority of the mental health innovation fund (£4.2 million in each year) will be allocated to NHS boards. NHS boards will be expected to work with their partners in local government and the third sector to develop and deliver the proposals.

Over five years the Scottish Government will be investing £150 million to improve mental health. The funding from the majority of the mental health innovation fund (£4.2 million in each year) is allocated by the Scottish Government to the NHS boards. NHS boards will be expected to work with their partners in local government and the third sector to develop and deliver the proposals.

In response to Developing the Young Workforce recommendations, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) published the Equalities Action Plan for Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland in December 2015. The five year plan outlines the challenges to be addressed and the actions SDS will undertake with partners to improve the participation of under-represented groups within the MA programme. Apprenticeship areas where there are gender imbalances, for example females in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and males in childcare related apprenticeships, will be tackled by the plan. An annual report detailing progress against the plan will be published by SDS early in the new year.

The Developing the Young Workforce National Group, chaired by Rob Woodward, Chief Executive of STV, is identifying and working with key individuals and business organisations across Scotland to establish up to 21 Developing the Young Workforce Regional Groups.

Currently, 17 industry led Developing the Young Workforce Regional Groups have been established in regions across Scotland.

The annual cost when all groups are fully operational will be up to £4.2m. The DYW Regional Groups that have been established are supported with Scottish Government funding over a 3 year period. The following table provides the indicative 3 year budget for each group that has already been established.