Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the merits of introducing a state-funded national resilience programme to provide people with counselling and support in the aftermath of a terrorist attack or other traumatic event.

There are no plans to introduce a state-funded national resilience programme. The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with NHS England and others to support local areas to respond appropriately to the mental health needs of victims of terrorism. People affected can access existing NHS mental health services via GPs and local Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services. There are also locally agreed arrangements for children and young people, with schools able to provide support or referrals to local services. These mental health services have staff trained to deliver evidence based treatment for conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress.
To ensure that victims of terrorism receive the support and assistance they need, we established a cross-HMG Victims of Terrorism unit to co-ordinate support to those directly affected by terrorist events at home or overseas. Comprehensive information on support services providing emotional, practical and mental health support is available at
victimsofterrorism.campaign.gov.uk