Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government’s decision not to publish a 10-year Mental Health Plan, what steps his Department is taking to protect mental health in the early months and years of a child's life.

The Major Conditions Strategy, announced on 24 January, will tackle conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England, including mental ill health. An interim report will be published in the summer. The Strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrated, whole-person care.  A joined up Major Conditions Strategy instead of a standalone mental health strategy will ensure that mental ill health is considered alongside other physical health conditions.

In addition, at the 2021 Autumn Budget the Government committed to improving support for families by announcing around £300 million to fund a new three-year Family Hubs and Start for Life programme.

A significant proportion of this funding has been allocated to support perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships. We are committed to ensuring that parents and carers can access timely and seamless mental health and relationship support from a baby’s conception.

The Start for Life Programme recognises the need for holistic support for families. Alongside provision for perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship difficulties, families will be able to access support in areas such as infant feeding and home learning through family hubs which act as one-stop-shop to access early help.