Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what long-term support his Department plans to provide to children that suffer from social anxiety.

The Government’s £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme has supported education staff to respond to the emotional and mental health pressures some children and young people may be feeling as a result of COVID-19.

In the longer term, mental health support teams are being deployed in schools and colleges to support the mental health needs of children and young people in primary, secondary and further education and provide early intervention on some mental health and emotional wellbeing issues, such as mild to moderate anxiety.