House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Tackling Loneliness and Connecting Communities — [Dr Rupa Huq in the Chair]

21 June 2023 · 7 other contributors · 14,046 words

Opened by Tracey Crouch Con Chatham and Aylesford

Responding minister: Stuart Andrew

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Tracey Crouch raised concerns about tackling loneliness and connecting communities — [dr rupa huq in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

MP is concerned about high levels of loneliness among people aged 16 to 24, with 47% of people over 16 experiencing some degree of loneliness.
The MP requests the government to revamp post-pandemic initiatives like social prescribing and asks for a cross-Government approach with long-term funding.
The Minister acknowledges the impact of Jo Cox's legacy and supports initiatives such as Men's Sheds across the country.

Key requests to Government

MP asks the government to urgently revamp initiatives started post-pandemic but withered away, such as social prescribing. She also requests joined-up thinking on tackling loneliness by strengthening cross-Government approach, providing long-term funding to projects, incentivising local authorities and partners to develop action plans, and investing in community infrastructure.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Tracey Crouch Con Chatham and Aylesford

MP is concerned about the high levels of loneliness affecting people, particularly those aged 16 to 24. She mentions that 47% of people over the age of 16 experience some degree of loneliness, with 6% feeling lonely often or always. Women are more likely to be lonely than men, and poor health, disability, and living in deprived communities increase one's likelihood of experiencing loneliness. The pandemic has exacerbated existing issues such as reduced connectivity due to remote work and cuts to youth services.

Other contributors (7)

Barbara Keeley Lab Worsley and Eccles South

She highlighted the disproportionate impact of loneliness on deprived communities, older people, children from low-income families, unpaid carers, and those experiencing unemployment or financial instability. She mentioned several initiatives in her constituency that aim to address loneliness through arts, culture, and community support projects.
Beth Winter Lab Cynon Valley

Emphasised the importance of defining loneliness and highlighted its prevalence among older people. Cited statistics from Age UK and CFAS Wales indicating that close to 1.5 million older people are often lonely and over a quarter in Wales reported being lonely. Called for more assessment on the impact of austerity and cost-of-living crisis on loneliness. Suggested that tackling loneliness requires fundamental societal change, including addressing individualism and neoliberal policies.
Christian Wakeford Lab Bury South

Christian Wakeford mentioned the stigma around mental health issues, especially for men, leading to suicide, and supported the work of Men's Sheds while also highlighting organisations like Andy's Man Club. Wakeford highlighted the devastating impact of loneliness on both physical and mental health. He mentioned a 2015 study finding that feeling lonely is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, with only 3% of regularly lonely people believing life is worth living.
Jackie Doyle-Price Con Basildon and Billericay

The intervention suggested that public health messaging should include the importance of social health, alongside physical and mental health. We should join up all our public health messaging to tackle physical, mental and social health.
Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

Jim Shannon highlighted the issue of rural isolation in his constituency, focusing on farmers and their mental health challenges. He mentioned the high suicide rates and prescription costs for depression in Northern Ireland compared to other UK regions. Shannon also praised initiatives like Men's Sheds and women's community networks that provide social support. He emphasised the importance of funding these groups to help combat loneliness. Jim Shannon highlighted that people who are generally joyful and outgoing can still experience profound loneliness, noting this from his own experiences as an elected representative.
Kim Leadbeater Lab Spen Valley

Kim Leadbeater spoke about the importance of tackling loneliness and highlighted her personal connection to the issue due to her sister Jo Cox's advocacy. She praised the work of the Jo Cox Foundation, emphasising the role of community events like the Great Get Together in fostering connections. Leadbeater also stressed the need for government involvement and cross-departmental efforts to address loneliness, including policy measures to ensure access to social spaces and reliable transport.
Peter Grant SNP Glenrothes

Peter Grant asked about whether Men's Sheds in Glenrothes stop work at tea time for a social break and suggested that more workplaces could adopt this practice. Stressed the importance of regular face-to-face and physical contact in combating loneliness. Highlighted the issue of forced isolation and its connection to mental health problems. Emphasised that different people react differently to loneliness, just as they do with hunger or tiredness.

Government Response

Stuart Andrew

It is a pleasure to serve under your stewardship, Dr Huq. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford on securing this important debate and pay tribute to the work of the all-party parliamentary group on tackling loneliness and connected communities, which raises the profile of the issue in a collaborative way. The Minister acknowledges the impact of Jo Cox's legacy and supports initiatives such as Men's Sheds across the country. Government action is driven by three key objectives: reducing stigma, driving a lasting shift to consider relationships and loneliness in organisations, and improving evidence for ongoing action. Loneliness disproportionately affects young people, leading to the launch of a communications campaign aimed at 16 to 34-year-olds. The Minister highlights over £80 million investment in various projects across England and expansion of social prescribing. A tackling loneliness hub with more than 500 members from private and public sectors supports collaboration. Building the evidence base includes sharing best practices internationally, collecting population-level data, and understanding risk factors for loneliness. Projects such as the know your neighbourhood fund aim to create volunteering opportunities in deprived areas. The Department successfully secured an extra £100 million for charities addressing cost of living issues and allocated more than £70 million from dormant assets. Volunteering is seen as a solution to tackle loneliness, with plans for Vision for Volunteering's 10-year strategy. Collaboration across Government Departments is emphasised, with collective work on tackling loneliness continuing to make significant progress.