Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 2018 report by ICAN, Bercow: Ten Years On, what plans he has to make sure that the special interest group convened by Public Health England to identify key mental health prevention evidence and its relevance to practice and to highlight gaps and make recommendations for these to be addressed through further research includes an expert in speech, language and communication and the links with mental health.

Public Health England (PHE) welcomes the Bercow Ten Years On Report and is working towards the recommendations for PHE.

The Special Interest Group will meet for the first time on 25 July with representation from research/ academia, Government Departments, arm’s length bodies, local commissioners, public health professionals and young people. The aim of the Special Interest Group will be to identify the best evidence for improving public mental health and reducing inequalities in children and young people in England.

The terms of reference and membership will be discussed at the first meeting and PHE will draw on expertise from a speech, language and communications expert to inform this work.