Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on trends in the levels of screen time amongst children; and what assessment he has made of the (a) emotional, (b) developmental, (c) mental health and (d) physical wellbeing effects of too much screen time for children.

We have not made a formal assessment.

To support children and young people’s mental health, we published guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. It encourages maintaining a balance between being online and offline, and it includes links to guidance for parents and carers to help children stay safe online.