Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Rachael Maskell Excerpts
Monday 28th October 2019

(5 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rachael Maskell Portrait Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)
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One of the greatest casualties of a decade of cuts to policing has been seen in the breakdown in partnerships between local authorities and mental health trusts. So what discussions is the Minister having with those departments to ensure that there is investment in those services and shared funding to move them forward?

Kit Malthouse Portrait Kit Malthouse
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The hon. Lady is right that the rise in the incidence of mental ill health has caused significant problems across the country, not least to the police. The frontline response teams I have met in the past few months in this job have all highlighted to me the problems they have in dealing with mental health cases. However, the problem has been sorted in some parts of the country, not least in my county of Hampshire, where there is a good relationship between the organisations, such that they are functioning well. I would like to take that best practice and spread it.