Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Care Commissioning Groups have responsibility for commissioning mental health services for children aged zero to two; and what steps his Department are taking to ensure that those groups secure that provision.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning non-specialised mental health services for all age groups in their local populations.

The Government continues to ensure that the National Health Service invests more in mental health both through significant central investments as part of the NHS Long Term Plan and through the Mental Health Investment Standard (MHIS). This standard requires CCGs to increase investment in mental health services in line with overall increase in funding. In 2018/19, it is expected all CCGs will achieve the MHIS level of investment.