Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent meetings with the families of patients from the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

The Government is determined to appoint a new Chair for the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry as soon as possible. Work to appoint a new chair is currently in progress, and Parliament will be updated on the progress of setting up the inquiry in due course.

No recent meetings have been held with the families of patients from the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, however, the Inquiry team continues to liaise with the families.