Agrees with Helen Hayes that the issues raised by the Youth Select Committee's report on access to mental health services could also apply to adult services, indicating a need for cross-over solutions.

Responds positively to Kevan Jones' point, reinforcing that many of the same issues affect mental health services across all age groups. She details ongoing problems such as the lack of funding for young people's mental health services, with only 16% dedicated to early intervention and 57 clinical commissioning groups reducing their proportion of mental health funding.

Raises concerns about serious youth violence and the link between mental ill health and gang or serious youth violence. She argues for a concentrated focus from both the health service and Government to address this issue, citing current good practices that need wider implementation.

Agrees with Karen Buck's point, highlighting that mental ill health is indeed a key trigger in gang-related violence. She emphasises the growing demand for mental health services, noting that only 16% of young people’s mental health funding goes towards early intervention.

Compliments Helen Hayes on securing the debate. She highlights that schools in her constituency find it difficult to access specialist support for children who could benefit from such services, echoing concerns about the lack of early intervention.

Concurs with Helen Whately's observations. She points out that due to a lack of early intervention support, there has been a significant increase in young people attending A&E for psychiatric conditions since 2010.

Suggests that poor quality housing can exacerbate mental health issues by preventing home-based treatment, especially in urban areas like London. This is a critical issue given the need for community support over hospitalisation.

Ms. Hayes emphasised the critical issue of mental health services for young people in London, highlighting that 45 young individuals from four boroughs were sent out of London for care due to a lack of local resources. She cited statistics showing that 62% of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) units are inadequate or require improvement. The speaker advocated for the Government's commitment to parity of esteem between mental and physical health services, arguing that current conditions amount to a national scandal. Ms. Hayes recommended three key actions: increasing and ring-fencing funding for CAMHS, pursuing co-production in policy formulation with young people, and integrating mandatory mental health education into school curricula. She also supported the Youth Select Committee's practical recommendations, such as regional commissioning, app development for support services, and plans to assist students during exam periods.

The report highlights the importance of engaging with young people and recognising mental health issues. Andrew acknowledges the contribution of Lucy Broadman, a member of Youth Parliament, who assisted him in formulating his remarks. He discusses the impact of social media on teenagers' mental health, highlighting issues such as cyberbullying, body image pressure, and constant comparison to perfection depicted in media and advertising. He also points out that these pressures can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities among young people.

Responds with a question about the term 'SWALK', reflecting on how communication methods have changed since earlier times, contributing to the context of modern teenagers' experiences discussed by Andrew Bingham.

Supports Andrew Bingham's analysis and suggests that an integrated solution is needed for addressing mental health issues among young people. This includes early intervention in schools and the NHS to tackle behaviours that contribute to poor mental health outcomes.

Agrees with the need for a whole school approach to mental health education, emphasises the importance of reducing stigma and enabling young people and parents to seek help without fear. He also highlights issues related to the transition from adolescence to adulthood in terms of accessing parental support.

Congratulates the Youth Select Committee on their report, highlighting the disparity between mental health care and physical health care funding. She mentions that while 28% of disease burden is due to mental ill health, it receives only 13% of NHS budget. Emphasises the need for early intervention and criticises current services as insufficient.

Acknowledges the importance of early intervention in mental health issues and refers to specific cases where schools are struggling with high numbers of pupils needing support. She also mentions a case study from her constituency that highlights the need for understanding and support among parents.

Questions whether current funding and resources are sufficient to meet the demands of early identification and intervention, referring to statistics from the “Future in mind” report which indicate that only 25-35% of young people with diagnosable mental health conditions access support.

The speaker emphasised the importance of family support in mental health and highlighted a programme called HeadStart funded by the national lottery that provides training to teachers and mentoring schemes for young people. She also mentioned difficulties in obtaining core funding due to reliance on lottery money. Lyn Brown discussed specific cases where integrated services had positive impacts, such as M's case involving parent-infant psychotherapy and J’s youth offending team intervention. The speaker expressed concern about the challenges faced by Newham in providing community-based mental health services due to lack of resources and stable funding.

I declare my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I am delighted that we are having this debate for two main reasons: it is an important subject, and young people are much more prepared than ever to come forward with their own stories of problems and issues. Secondly, I participate because this is part of the UK Youth Parliament's work; a report by the Youth Select Committee should be formally debated in Government time annually. The UK Youth Parliament has a substantial democratic endorsement from 875,000 young people who voted on priorities, including mental health services. This report needs to be appreciated and acted upon. I have seen many mental health initiatives but we still lack parity of esteem in healthcare.

Agrees that reports and taskforces are not enough; mental health should be a cross-Government issue, with wellbeing part of every policy development.

Joined-up government is an illusion. Mental illness involves many Departments and needs direct engagement from Ministers at the top. There was a youth action group that dealt with complex issues across multiple Departments, but it hasn't met for 15 months. A Cabinet-level Minister for mental health could help join up relevant Departments.

Reminds Tim Loughton that she is the shadow Cabinet Minister for mental health, a role which has not been abandoned by her party.

Emphasised the importance of mental health services, particularly child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), highlighting that mental health remains a secondary priority within the NHS. Noted the lack of parity in funding and the stigma associated with mental illness. Highlighted the issue of perinatal mental health, mentioning undetected cases and the need for evidence-based treatment. Discussed the economic cost to the NHS due to untreated mental health issues and their long-term impact on children's development. Raised concerns about peer group pressure, social media influence, and academic pressures affecting young people's mental health.

Asked Tim Loughton to comment on the challenge of children taking their problems home due to digital communication. Suggested that digital service providers should take steps to provide apps and protections for children in difficult circumstances.

Agreed with the need for mental health education on the curriculum, emphasising that it should not be left to chance but rather made compulsory to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Sceptical about making mental health education a compulsory part of the curriculum. Emphasises the importance of having properly trained, empathetic people delivering such education. Advocates for involving youth workers who can empathise with young people better than traditional classroom teachers.

Acknowledges the importance of appropriate mental health delivery but highlights that local authorities are cutting non-statutory services, leading to a reduction in support for schools providing such education. She emphasises headteachers' challenges with reduced budgets.

Reiterates the value of youth workers and suggests Ofsted should play a role in assessing mental health problems among pupils. Discusses cyber-bullying, advocating for verification schemes to tackle websites promoting self-harm or anorexia. Mentions body image issues as influencing young girls' aspirations towards plastic surgery.

Congratulates Helen Hayes on securing the debate, thanks organisations for their report, emphasises the importance of talking about mental health to reduce stigma. Highlights issues raised by the report including access to services and prevention. Criticises current system as a 'Cinderella service', calls for more funding but also structural changes in commissioning and pathways. Advocates for self-referral systems beyond GP reliance, suggesting community and voluntary sector involvement. Supports parity of esteem for mental health but criticises cuts affecting local government provision leading to youth services closure.

Agrees with Kevan Jones that children should not have to become seriously ill before receiving help, emphasising the importance of early intervention.

Mr. Jones emphasises the need for a new mental health system, citing personal experience and cases of children being self-harming and facing long wait times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). He advocates for community-based provision, including open access services run by well-funded voluntary sector organisations or local authorities. He highlights issues with current NHS commissioning processes that exclude small community groups from service contracts. Mr. Jones argues that early intervention can save taxpayers money in the long term and calls for mental wellbeing to be mainstreamed into public policy across Whitehall, suggesting a Cabinet Sub-Committee approach. He also supports school counsellors as a way to provide early intervention and reduce pressures on young people.

Commended the debate's quality and highlighted issues related to mental health stigma, youth vulnerability, and the need for early diagnosis and treatment. Emphasised the importance of integrating education and healthcare services and advocated for better use of digital tools in mental health support. Raised concerns about the impact of mental illness on young people's susceptibility to grooming and exploitation. Called for increased funding and timely access to therapy. Highlighted the case of Jed Dwight, whose brother took his own life due to mental health issues, stressing the need for early intervention and destigmatisation.

Thanked the Youth Select Committee for an excellent report on mental health services. Acknowledged her professional background in clinical psychology and highlighted the importance of early intervention in child and adolescent mental health. Emphasised that more than half of mental ill-health starts before the age of 14, and 75% before the age of 18. Discussed the need for additional resources for tier 4 services for in-patients and better communication channels between departments when children's care is transferred. Advocated for access to mental health specialists in schools and modernising approaches through IT and social media methods.

Mr. Merriman commended the cross-party collaboration on mental health services for young people, praising the Youth Select Committee report that prioritised this issue based on a vote from 90,000 young participants. He highlighted his personal commitment to addressing mental health issues since being elected as an MP in East Sussex 18 months ago due to its severity among young constituents. Mr. Merriman discussed instances where early-stage intervention was lacking for children with mental health conditions, advocating for more focus on prevention and treatment before these issues become acute. He emphasised the economic imperative of addressing mental health needs over physical infrastructure deficits by citing an example of £250,000 allocated to mental health treatment compared to road repairs. Mr. Merriman criticised social media and the internet's negative impacts on young people’s wellbeing, urging for better regulation and education about online safety and cyberbullying. He supported the recommendation in the report for statutory levels of attainment in mental health education, proposing a curriculum that includes awareness of social media's effects alongside traditional wellbeing training.

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle, and I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate. As one of the elected honorary presidents of the British Youth Council, I am delighted that this debate arises from the Youth Select Committee’s report on young people's mental health. It reassures the UK Youth Parliament and youth councils that their voice is being heard. My interest in this topic stems from my work as deputy leader for health and wellbeing in Redbridge, where I have listened to young people discuss their struggles with mental ill health openly. The key issue highlighted by these discussions is the significant problems nationally with access to mental health treatment, especially concerning CAMHS turning away nearly a quarter of children referred for treatment. Additionally, there are alarming levels of self-harm and suicide among LGBT young people, and ethnic minorities face barriers in accessing services due to stigma.

My hon. Friend is making a powerful contribution. Healthwatch Nottingham’s survey found that 26% of young people had not sought any help or treatment despite feeling they suffered from mental health problems, twice as likely among black and minority ethnic young people. We need to raise awareness of available help and address the needs of all young people.

It is not just general young people who are having trouble accessing mental health services; it's crucial to look at the profile of affected young people. Research from Stonewall showed exceptionally high levels of mental ill health among LGBT young people, with more than half self-harming and a quarter attempting suicide or considering it. This points to a crisis for LGBT youth, which is a symptom of wider poor provision. The failure of public policy on African-Caribbean people in the mental health system should shame our country; they face inequality and are disproportionately represented in criminal justice due to failures of public policy.

My hon. Friend’s point is well-made, particularly regarding the specific needs of LGBT youth highlighted by Stonewall's research showing that young people who identified as homosexual or bisexual were most likely to have experienced a mental health issue and had negative experiences when seeking treatment.

Young people themselves recognise the failure of public services in addressing their needs, which is distressing for those suffering from anxiety or depression. Concerns about Asian communities being less likely to seek mental health support and African-Caribbean youth facing inequality are highlighted. Funding is a critical issue; while the Government has committed £1.4 billion to child mental health over five years, local government cuts are affecting services' delivery. The NHS funding formula also disadvantages boroughs like Redbridge, leading to challenges in addressing local population needs.

Supports a 'better together' approach for healthcare providers to improve efficiency and coordination, suggesting that such an organisation would help save money and ensure everyone is joined up.

Critiques the leadership and accountability within mental health services, highlighting a CQC report on Brookside unit in Ilford South that found serious issues. Questions why such a situation was allowed to persist without action until inspection. Also mentions personal experiences of constituents suffering from poor mental health care, emphasising the critical importance of public service provision and celebrating work done by voluntary sectors like social enterprises and community programmes aimed at improving mental health outcomes. Proposes future directions for policy including working with local authorities through accountable care organisations and advocating nationally for joined-up government funding to avoid cuts in essential services.

Ms Rees congratulates Helen Hayes on securing the debate and discusses her new staff member Matthew van Rooyen, who will participate in the Youth Parliament sitting. She highlights the importance of mental health services for young people based on a report by the Youth Select Committee, which indicates that nearly 850,000 children aged five to 16 suffer from mental health issues. Ms Rees emphasises the lack of proper support and shares a testimonial from a young person who faced difficulties in obtaining help through their GP, highlighting the substandard interactions with medical practitioners. She calls for improvements across all areas including education systems and teacher training, as well as the need for trained counsellors in schools.

I have had parents contacting me in great distress at the lack of adequate acute services when their children are in crisis. There is a shortage of tier 4 beds for young people, leading to repeated crises in local hospitals' children’s wards that are not safe or fair environments for these youth. I also experienced a case where a young man needed urgent hospital care but faced delays due to poor coordination between different services, exacerbating his condition and adding trauma. Children face disruptions when they turn 18 as their mental health support changes abruptly, lacking continuity of care. The funding situation and lack of integration hinder the public and voluntary sector workers who aim to help these young people. I credit the Youth Select Committee, British Youth Council, and Members of the Youth Parliament for raising mental health issues, and highlight a student’s concern about inadequate support. Schools’ headteachers expressed growing mental health concerns among students and cited challenges in securing early intervention due to stretched capacity of CAMHS services, exacerbated by cuts in housing benefits and tax credits leading to family stress and instability. Proposed solutions include increased funding, better-integrated support systems, and the establishment of a covenant for children’s mental health to ensure consistency and prioritisation across various sectors.

I thank the Backbench Business Committee for selecting this debate on young people’s mental health, praising the Youth Select Committee's report. Agreeing with previous speakers that resources and their framework are key issues, I stress the importance of addressing mental health concerns highlighted by youth organisations such as UK Youth Parliament and Scottish Youth Parliament. Highlighting statistics like more than half of all mental ill-health starting before age 14, I emphasise the need for action based on repeated demands from young people. Discuss local initiatives in my constituency such as the Falkirk and District Association for Mental Health and the Open Door project in West Lothian to show practical solutions in tackling this issue.

Keeley congratulated the hon. Members for Dulwich and West Norwood and South Cambridgeshire on securing the debate, supporting their views on early intervention, ring-fenced funding, co-production, mental health education in schools, and the need to address social media impacts. She highlighted real problems parents face in navigating mental health services due to local government cuts, commissioning difficulties through GPs, and the need for open-access services. Keeley cited statistics indicating that on average one in four people experience a mental health problem, with 50% of adult issues starting before age 15, yet only 8% of mental health budgets are spent on children.

Hayes focused on early intervention in mental health care for young people, stressing the importance of preventing seriously ill young people from being sent away from home. She highlighted the national scandal concerning the current state of services and advocated for ring-fenced funding for CAMHS and co-production involving young people.

Allen supported the debate on youth mental health, acknowledging the legitimacy of the Youth Parliament and discussing pressures on young people from social media. She also highlighted the Scottish National Party's support for a dedicated Minister for mental health.

Bingham discussed personal experience with youth mental health issues, stressing that debates should be held in Government time to address serious concerns and advocating for early intervention strategies.

Paid tribute to the Youth Select Committee’s work and acknowledged the importance of listening to young people's experiences. Emphasised that children's mental health is a priority for the Government, highlighting an additional £1.4 billion investment in youth mental health services. Stressed the need for local CCGs to prioritise spending effectively while ensuring accountability through transparency and data tracking.

Asked about ring-fencing funding for mental health services to ensure it reaches frontline providers, questioning the effectiveness of current measures in other areas beyond Newham.

Highlighted issues with local CCGs ignoring Government requests and suggested that further action is needed besides transparency measures. Raised concerns about funding cuts to children's services by local authorities, impacting mental health support.

Suggested looking into how contracts are drawn up for third sector organisations to enable them to better bid for and deliver mental health services.

Continues to address issues raised regarding children and young people's mental health services, emphasising the need for accessible and evidence-based support. Mentions commitments such as 'Future in Mind' and 'Five Year Forward View for Mental Health', highlighting increased funding, improved access to treatment, and a focus on reducing stigma through initiatives like Time to Change. Discusses the importance of co-production with young people and families, addressing workforce challenges, and collaborating with other government departments to improve services.

I very much thank the 10 Back Benchers, the Opposition Front Benchers and the Minister for taking the time to be in the House to contribute to this debate. It has been an excellent debate, with some very powerful speeches. Members have acknowledged the scale of the crisis in young people’s mental health, very effectively represented those of their constituents who face mental health issues, brought to bear their direct experience in this field and called on the Government to take a different approach. We have discussed many statistics, and they paint a picture of a heartbreaking reality for young people and families across this country. Many Members have also highlighted the false economies involved in failing to invest properly in young people’s mental health, with the additional costs to the health service, local authorities, the criminal justice system and, indeed, to human beings themselves. Many Members have paid tribute to the work of the British Youth Parliament, and I want to add my voice to those saying that the work of the Youth Parliament should be debated in Government time. We must continue to build the institution of the Youth Parliament as the voice of young people in our democratic process. It is right and proper that it should be given such a status. The debate has, on the whole, been very consensual, and it has shown the House at its best. I hope that Members on both sides of the House have communicated to the British Youth Parliament, the Youth Select Committee and young people across this country the seriousness with which we take this issue.

I very much welcome the Minister’s response, and her commitment to address this issue and to deliver a step change in young people’s mental health. She is right to point out that this will require resources, leadership and work across Departments. She mentioned work with the Department for Education, but work with the Department for Communities and Local Government will also be very important. As the Minister also has responsibility for public health, she will know the extent to which public health expenditure is so challenged at the moment. We heard from several Members during the debate about the impact of such cuts on mental health and as a direct consequence of them. I welcome her response, but it must be backed up by action, following through and delivering on those commitments.

I hope all Members from both sides of the House who have contributed to this debate will join me in holding the Government to account on delivering the step change we need to protect our vulnerable young people and on delivering a framework of support that will help them to be resilient, confident and healthy as they grow into adulthood.