Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 10.3 of the explanatory memorandum to the Mental Health Act 1983 (Places of Safety) Regulations 2017, whether funding has been provided as detailed in that paragraph.

The Department is making £30 million funding available to improve the provision of places of safety. £15 million of this is for the period 2016-18, and the application process is currently open for local Crisis Care Concordat areas that would like to bid against the £15 million that will be available for the period 2018-20. Information is available at:

http://www.crisiscareconcordat.org.uk/beyond-places-safety-bpos/

In addition, to support the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, the Department is investing an additional £1 billion in mental health services by 2020 to increase the provision of Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams, to provide mental health support in accident and emergency departments.