Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has taken steps to increase support for young men suffering from mental health conditions in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

We remain committed to the aims of the NHS Long Term Plan, investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England, including in Romford constituency. This extra funding will enable an extra two million people, including young men, to be treated by mental health services within the National Health Service by March 2024. We expect integrated care boards to continue to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard by increasing their investment in mental health services in line with their overall increase in funding for the year.

The new suicide prevention strategy for England, including Romford constituency, is a five-year strategy which sets out the Government’s ambition for suicide prevention. Many of the actions within the new strategy will support suicide prevention in men by addressing the common risk factors for this group, such as a history of drug or alcohol misuse, family or relationships problems, and social isolation and loneliness.