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 help reduce waiting times for access to CAMHS support.

It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they deserve, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when young people need it, this Government will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across children and adult mental health services and introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school. This will mean mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, can be identified early on and prevented from developing into more serious conditions in later life.