Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans there to progress the outline business case for re-provision of the mental health hospital in Walsall approved by NHS Improvement to assist in mental health care in the Black Country.

NHS Improvement is engaging with the Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust in respect of the development of the Full Business Case in a supporting capacity. The Trust has carried out a public engagement exercise in relation to the proposals, which ended on 22 December 2017. NHS Improvement advises that the value of the redevelopment scheme is £7.5 million. The Trust is expected to discuss the proposal further at the Executive Board in April 2018. Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group advises that it is fully supportive of the proposals and believes it will improve the quality of patient care for the local population.