Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that mental health service provision reaches BAME communities as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.

We want to ensure that all communities, including people from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background, can access services if they need to. National Health Service mental health services have remained open, and our community, talking therapies and children and young people’s services have deployed digital tools to connect with people and provide ongoing support.

The Government has provided £9.2 million of additional funding for mental health charities to support adults and children. This includes charities that offer some support to BAME communities, such as the What? Centre, which supports young people with furthering their understanding of race, culture and identity in relation to mental health.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with BAME experts and others to support rapid knowledge and information sharing to encourage timely access to NHS mental health services.