Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services.

In February 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement published the outcomes of its consultation on the potential to introduce five new access and waiting time standards for mental health services as part of its clinically-led review of NHS Access Standards. This included one for children, young people and their families or carers presenting to community-based mental health services to start receiving care within four weeks from referral. We are now working with NHS England and NHS Improvement on the next steps.