Luciana Berger MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health, commenting on the Education Select Committee’s report on the mental health and well-being of looked-after children, said:

“This Tory Government promised to prioritise young people’s mental health but this damning report shows that too many vulnerable children are being turned away from the help they need.

“The Government is letting children with mental health problems down. On their watch self-harming has soared and the number of children turning to A&E because of their mental health problems has more than doubled. To make matters worse, Tory Ministers have admitted they won’t spend what they promised on child mental health services this year.

“To avoid this appalling human cost and to make our mental health services sustainable into the future, the Tory Government must do more to prevent young people from needing to turn to them in the first place. This is why we must intervene early, provide high quality PSHE in all schools, and ensure that children are given the mental health support that they need.”