Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that all clinical commissioning groups increase investment in mental health services each year at a level which at least matches their overall expenditure increase.

The Government’s Mandate to NHS England sets out an expectation for NHS England to achieve measurable progress towards the parity of esteem for mental health enshrined in the NHS Constitution. Progress is being monitored as part of NHS England’s planning and financial reporting process.

Delivering the Forward View: NHS planning guidance for 2016-17 requires clinical commissioning groups (CCG) to increase investment in mental health services above their overall increase in allocation each year. This can include investment in primary or secondary mental health services, which should be aligned with delivery of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: a report from the Independent Mental Health Taskforce published in February 2016.

Where a CCG is not investing in mental health services as planned and without providing adequate justification, NHS England will work with the CCG to bring their spending back in line with their plan.