Thank you for contacting me about the #FundTheHubs campaign being run by MIND and their associated report about improving mental wellbeing and community resilience in the UK.
Supporting the mental health of our children and young people is an issue of great urgency. Whilst access to services varies across local areas, the Government has established 24-7 NHS urgent mental health lines to ensure that children and young people can access advice and support around their mental health.
I understand that the Cabinet Office ran a consultation on the National Resilience Strategy between July and September 2021, and will be publishing the next steps over the coming months.
Funding for the Public Health Grants in England will be announced with the Local Government Financial Settlement later this year. However, I note that the current Public Health Outcomes Framework includes a number of measures around mental health where local authorities are expected to address in their communities.
On levelling up, I was also pleased to see the Government’s recent announcement of £200 million funding to support local community projects across the UK. This included projects to support adults struggling with their mental health and programme in the Scottish Borders to promote good mental health of people living in Housing Associations.
Thank you once again for taking the time to contact me about these important issues.