Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health Services

Baroness Tyler of Enfield Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Tyler of Enfield]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Children’s Commissioner’s report Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health Services: 2024-25, published on 29 June.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)]

My Lords, we welcome the report of the Children’s Commissioner. It highlights pressures on children and young people’s mental health services, including rising demand, long waits and the need for better support for those with neurodevelopmental and SEND needs. The findings will feed into our new cross-government mental health strategy, which will focus on prevention, earlier intervention and joined-up support.

[Baroness Tyler of Enfield (LD)]

I thank the Minister for her Answer. The Children’s Commissioner report certainly made plain that children’s mental health services are facing record levels of referrals. The Minister referred to the forthcoming mental health strategy; what we need to see is concrete action in relation to children and young people. Will the Minister reassure me that children and young people’s services will be a priority in the strategy, and will the strategy commit to narrowing the treatment gap for mental health support so that more young people with diagnosable need will be seen by the end of this Parliament?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The mental health of children and young people is completely fundamental to the new strategy, which will cover all ages and be published later this year. But what really needs to be done, as I know the noble Baroness is aware, is to transform mental health care in this country, because the system currently responds too late, is not reducing waiting times and is allowing distress to escalate before intervention. The strategy will work to turn all that around, because we need that system-wide change.