Oral Answers to Questions

Steve Reed Excerpts

Tuesday 19th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I want to take one last grouping. We are out of time, but I want to accommodate the Questions on mental health services—brief questions, brief answers.

[Mr Steve Reed (Croydon North) (Lab/Co-op)]

15. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to mental health services for children and young people.

[Trudy Harrison (Copeland) (Con)]

17. What steps he is taking to improve the provision of mental health services for children and young people.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Reed]

Many young people with mental ill health report that crisis care is not good enough. Of course, the pressures on them can get even worse over Christmas, so will the Government back the call by the charity YoungMinds to set up a crisis hotline for children and young people that would be available through the existing 111 service?

[Jackie Doyle-Price]

We are approaching Christmas, and the hon. Gentleman is quite right to highlight the fact that it can often be the moment of greatest crisis for people with mental health issues. I was with the Samaritans yesterday to commend it for all its work—it is obviously a good pathway to help—but, absolutely, we will speak with YoungMinds.