Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the mental health of disabled children and their families.

No specific assessment has been made. However, on 23 November 2020 we published a Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Plan for COVID-19, setting out the steps we have taken to strengthen the support available, including for disabled children. On 5 March 2021, we announced that £79 million of the additional £500 million for the mental health and National Health Service workforce announced at the November 2020 Spending Review will be used to significantly expand mental health services for children, including disabled children.