Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to reduce the differential in spending on mental health support between different parts of the country.

Funding allocations to clinical commissioning groups vary to meet the needs of local populations, including mental health need. These allocations are determined by a formula managed for the National Health Service by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are required to continue to increase investment in mental health services in line with the mental health investment standard. In 2017/18, all CCGs met the standard. For 2019/20, the standard requires CCGs to increase spend by at least their overall programme allocation growth, plus an additional percentage increment to reflect the additional mental health funding included in CCG allocations for 2019/20.