Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS England is able to meet its aim of extending waiting time standards for mental health.

The National Health Service is already meeting standards on access to psychological therapies and we have introduced waiting time standards for early intervention in psychosis.

NHS England published an Implementation Plan in July 2016 setting out the actions required to deliver their Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, including developing the right pathways and access and waiting time standards for the treatment of mental health conditions. We are working with NHS England and health delivery partners to ensure that these actions are delivered.