Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and East London Foundation Trust on plans to reinstate inpatient mental health beds in Bedford.

Bedfordshire clinical commissioning group (CCG) has confirmed to NHS England that the project to provide a mental health inpatient unit is in its early stages and that East London Foundation NHS Trust has made an undertaking to provide a mental health inpatient unit in Bedford.

Bedfordshire CCG has identified a potential site in Bedford town and are progressing options and feasibility for this with National Health Service and local authority partners. The CCG will be appointing an architect when contracts have been formalised. Business cases for capital and commissioned services will then be developed and approved through standard NHS England commissioning processes.