Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address mental health problems affecting children, following the increase in the number of children under 11 contacting Childline because of suicidal thoughts and feelings since 2015–16.

We are taking action to protect the mental health of all children and young people. Following on from our Green Paper on transforming children and young people’s mental health, we are:

- incentivising every school or college to identify and train a Senior Lead for Mental Health;

- creating new mental health support teams in and near schools and colleges; and

- piloting a four-week waiting time to allow swifter access to specialist NHS services for those children and young people who need them.

The Green Paper has the potential to significantly improve early intervention and prevention, along with expanding the current children and young people’s mental health workforce.