Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the capacity and geographical distribution of inpatient secure mental health beds.

NHS England has advised that work is currently underway with the 15 Adult Secure Provider Collaboratives across England to speed up the safe and timely transfer of appropriately assessed people from prison. This includes identifying existing capacity, including workforce estates and location, that can be reconfigured at pace; identifying where additional capacity, including workforce and estates, may be required; and, scoping at pace, the creation of alternative clinically safe service models.