Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 25 October 2023 to Question 203270 on Universities: Mental Health Services, how many and what proportion of Higher Education leaders received the letter on mental health services from the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education on 5 June 2023.

On 5 June 2023, the department wrote to the accountable officers at every higher education (HE) provider registered with the Office for Students, asking them to prioritise mental health at an executive level. 417 HE providers were registered at that time.

In this letter, a target was set for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024. Providers who do not have degree-awarding powers are not eligible but can still follow the Charter’s principles. In addition, there is an Association of Colleges Mental Health & Wellbeing Charter for colleges.