Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Disabled Children’s Partnership, entitled The Loneliest Lockdown, published on 29 March 2021, what steps his Department plans to take to tackle the disproportionate level of mental health issues affecting disabled children and their families.

On 23 November 2020 we published a Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Plan for COVID-19, setting out the steps we have taken to strengthen the mental health support available including for disabled children and their families.

On 5 March 2021, we announced that £79 million of the additional £500 million for mental health announced at the November 2020 Spending Review will be used to significantly expand mental health services for children, including disabled children. As part of the £500 million, £31 million will also be used to address particular challenges faced by individuals with a learning disability and autistic people, including for community respite services for children and young people and their families.