FUNDING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

That this House welcomes the commitment in the March Budget 2015 to invest an additional £1.25 billion over five years to improve children and young people's mental health services, amounting to £250 million annually; expresses strong concern that only £143 million of this funding will be spent in 2015-16, which is £107 million less than expected on the basis of an equal annual division of the total sum; notes that more than half of all mental ill-health in adulthood starts before the age of 14 years, and 75 per cent has developed by the age of 18; believes that early intervention to promote, protect and improve children and young people's mental health can dramatically improve their future life prospects; further believes that additional funding is vital to drive the improvement of mental health services and ensure that children and young people across the country have timely access to clinically effective mental health support; and calls on the Government to ensure that this £107 million shortfall from the current financial year is fully made up in 2016-17 and to stand by its commitment to invest the whole £1.25 billion over the course of the Parliament.