Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the public protection implications of psychotherapists and counsellors continuing to advertise and practise despite having been removed from Professional Standards Authority accredited voluntary registers because of misconduct; and what consideration they have given to strengthening safeguards in that area.

There is no statutory requirement for psychotherapists and counsellors to be registered with an organisation that holds a voluntary accredited register with the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA). Organisations that hold registers that are accredited by the PSA are independent, representative bodies and as such, they do not fall under Government oversight. Any decisions about the practise requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for those organisations and their members.

The Government would encourage anyone accessing psychotherapy and counselling services to choose a professional that is a member of a statutorily regulated profession or registered with a voluntary accredited register listed on the PSA website.

The Department has no current plans to extend statutory regulation to the counselling and psychotherapy professions.