MINISTERS are facing renewed calls to bring in laws to ensure mental and physical health conditions are given equal priority, after it emerged research funding for psychological illnesses had plummeted under the SNP.

New figures reveal the amount of government cash spent on research into better understanding mental health conditions or developing new treatments has fallen to its lowest level in eight years. While £7 million was invested in the two years to April 2009, just £860,000 from a total research budget of £69 million was spent specifically on mental health projects in 2013-14.

The figure has fallen further to just £526,000 in this financial year.

Labour MSP Richard Simpson, who uncovered the figures, called on the government to do far more to encourage research and accused the SNP of failing to back up its rhetoric around the importance of mental health.

The Scottish Government said it commits £500,000 every year for mental health research and announced a £15 million fund to boost frontline service delivery.