Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Student Mental Health

Monday 4 July 2022 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government allocated 15 million to student mental health services to support the transition from school to university.
  • Department provided over 2 million to organisations like the Diana Award to tackle bullying in schools.
  • Government funding trains senior mental health leads in two thirds of state schools and colleges by March 2023.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Dean Russell
Education Mental Health
Context

The MP is inquiring about initiatives for supporting students' mental health, highlighting the importance of transition from school to university.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to help support students with their mental health. I have been relentlessly focused on this area, allocating £15 million to student mental health services to support the transition from school to university via the Office for Students.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

I have been relentlessly focused on this area, allocating £15 million to student mental health services to support the transition from school to university via the Office for Students. I held a summit with the Minister for Care and Mental Health investing £3 million in bridging the gaps between NHS and university services.

Answered
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Q2 Dean Russell
Education Mental Health
Context

The MP is discussing efforts to raise awareness of bullying and the impact it has on students' mental health.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend share what other measures the Government are taking to tackle bullying and to support students' mental health more broadly? My hon. Friend has done an exceptional job of caring for his Watford constituents' mental health, and I am sure that all hon. Members can get behind and copy his first aider programme.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

Between 2021 and 2023, the Department is providing more than £2 million to organisations, including the Diana Award, to support schools to tackle bullying.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not address the first part of the question regarding measures against bullying.

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Q3 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Education Mental Health
Context

The MP is concerned about the high number of students struggling with mental health in his constituency and seeks plans for specialist healthcare support.

Question

What plans does the Minister have to increase specialist mental healthcare support in every school, so that all kids in my constituency have access to the support that they need? One in six kids in my constituency struggles with their mental health; it is a deeply concerning situation.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

The Government are funding training for senior mental health leads in two thirds of state schools and colleges by March 2023 and in all by 2025.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not directly address the request to increase specialist healthcare support but provided information on general training for senior mental health leads.

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Q4 Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington
Education Mental Health
Context

The MP is questioning the effectiveness of mental health services provided to students during the pandemic, citing statistics from a survey.

Question

Can she honestly say that she has successfully dealt with the crisis on our campuses? In a recent survey by the mental health charity HUMEN, 57% of students said that they had access to university mental health services, while the charity Mind reports that one in five students has been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Answer from Michelle Donelan

We have had a pandemic in that time. The Government have placed mental health at the top of the agenda, and we work in partnership with universities to deliver services.

Not addressed: The answer did not address the specific question regarding the success in dealing with campus crises but shifted focus to general efforts during the pandemic.

How: We Have Had A Pandemic

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