Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Digital report entitled Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2020 which found that the proportion of children with mental health issues is 50 per cent higher than before the covid-19 outbreak, what steps he plans to take to tackle the mental health needs of children.

National Health Service mental health services have remained open throughout the pandemic and services have deployed digital tools to connect with people and provide ongoing support. NHS England has also asked all mental health trusts to ensure there are 24 hours a day, seven days a week open access telephone lines for urgent NHS mental health support, advice and triage for all ages through a single point of access.

Our £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme is providing schools and colleges with the knowledge and access to resources to support children and young people, teachers and parents. On 8 September, Public Health England (PHE) launched a mental wellbeing campaign for children and young people. It expands PHE’s Better Health-Every Mind Matters website with content specifically for children and young people and their parents and carers.