Oral Answers to Questions

Josh Dean Excerpts

Monday 28th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

The hon. Lady will know that we have confirmed £50 million for ’25-26. Further considerations will be for the spending review. We have made changes in order to maximise the number of children who can access the fund. In addition to the funding that is provided there, we are also trialling kinship allowances, investing more in foster care and investing another £0.5 billion in providing local authorities with the support they need to provide preventive services. I agree that it is important that vulnerable children who have been through the adoption system and beyond get the support that they need to thrive.

[Josh Dean (Hertford and Stortford) (Lab)]

T6. We know that young people are at the sharp end of the mental health crisis, so can the Minister update the House on the progress his Department is making on our manifesto commitment to put specialist mental health support into our schools, and tell us how gaps in support for neurodivergent pupils—as highlighted in the trailblazer programme—will be addressed?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Stephen Morgan)]

This Government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school so that every young person has access to early support, including those who are neurodivergent. NHS-funded mental health support teams will continue to roll out across schools and are expected to cover at least 50% of pupils this year.