I consider it a privilege to participate in this important debate, and I thank the Cabinet Secretary for bringing the issue before us, dealing with ‘Together for Mental Health’. Of course, some of us are old enough to remember the mental health Measure brought forward by Jonathan Morgan, the former Member of this place, some years ago, which has brought much of this work forward, with a particular emphasis there on early treatment, and, as doctors, we are strong believers in that. It is crucially important that treatment is provided at an early stage, and this whole issue of waiting lists is entirely contrary to that fundamental principle.

Ultimately, we want to see more health professionals on the ground who can deal with these problems. As a GP, I would hope that I could refer a patient with mental health problems directly to talking therapies, but that isn’t the case at the moment, and it can take some months for my patients to see someone who can provide CBT and so on, and that situation must change. Even if we diagnose people at an early stage, if they then have to wait six months or longer until they get treatment—