27/10/2016

:00:00. > :00:00.another opportunity, either through a forthcoming adjournment ddbate or

:00:00. > :00:18.questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland. Point of order, Julian

:00:19. > :00:24.Lewis. Is there any advice xou can give to me in my capacity as chair

:00:25. > :00:27.of the Defence Select Committee Both my committee and the foreign

:00:28. > :00:31.affairs select committee have been extremely worried about the

:00:32. > :00:39.forthcoming major cuts to BBC Monitoring and the potential closure

:00:40. > :00:44.of Caversham Park, the centre where BBC Monitoring and American Open

:00:45. > :00:49.Source Enterprise side-by-shde to the great advantage of many

:00:50. > :00:54.government departments. The foreign affairs and quietly had to conclude

:00:55. > :00:59.without getting a responsible minister to give evidence. We have

:01:00. > :01:03.been trying in our enquiry since October the 14th to get responsible

:01:04. > :01:07.minister, who we gather shotld be from the Foreign Office, but

:01:08. > :01:12.otherwise possibly from the Cabinet Office, to come to us. This is a

:01:13. > :01:16.very serious matter, is warning a great many people in the military

:01:17. > :01:20.intelligence communities and we look to your advice as to what wd can do

:01:21. > :01:24.to compel and minister to do his job and come before us and be

:01:25. > :01:31.scrutinised as we are required to do in order to do our job? I thank him

:01:32. > :01:36.for advanced notice of his point of order. As he knows, the chahr is not

:01:37. > :01:40.able to compel ministers to appear before select committees, btt he has

:01:41. > :01:45.chosen the timing of his pohnt of order very well and has the leader

:01:46. > :01:50.of the house very attentive and will no doubt take his concerns back to

:01:51. > :01:58.the government. Point of order, Patrick Grady. In answer to my

:01:59. > :02:01.honourable friend from Stirling the leader in all sobriety and perhaps

:02:02. > :02:09.without any hint of irony, presented the behaviour of the Mr last week as

:02:10. > :02:15.nothing more than answering questions in a normal debatd. Every

:02:16. > :02:19.member present knows... Orddr. Order. This is a continuation of a

:02:20. > :02:27.debate rather than a point of order and you will have to pursue other

:02:28. > :02:40.avenues for this grievance. We come to presentation of... Technhcal and

:02:41. > :02:44.further education Bill. What day? Second reading tomorrow. We now come

:02:45. > :02:48.to the motion on privileges. I informed the house that the speaker

:02:49. > :02:54.has not selected the amendmdnts tabled. I called the leader of the

:02:55. > :03:01.house to move the motion. I beg to move the motion standing in my name

:03:02. > :03:06.on the order paper. This case was referred to the committee of

:03:07. > :03:10.privileges by the house on the 2nd of May 2012 the committee w`s tasked

:03:11. > :03:17.to investigate the conclusions in chapter eight of the 11th rdport

:03:18. > :03:21.from the culture media and sport committee on News International and

:03:22. > :03:27.phone hacking. The committed found that Mr Colin Myler and Mr Tom corn

:03:28. > :03:31.misled the culture media and sport committee by each answering

:03:32. > :03:35.questions falsely about knowledge of evidence that other News of the

:03:36. > :03:41.World employees had been involved in phone hacking and other wrongdoing.

:03:42. > :03:46.The committee made a finding of content in relation to each of them.

:03:47. > :03:50.The committee also made a fhnding of contempt in relation to Mr Tom

:03:51. > :04:00.Cronan being found to have, I caught, misled the CMS commhttee by

:04:01. > :04:07.giving a false account of confidentiality. He was involved in

:04:08. > :04:13.the settlement negotiations and knew that the desire of confidentiality

:04:14. > :04:16.had increased settlement amount ". The standard of proof by thd

:04:17. > :04:23.committee was whether the allegations contained within the CMS

:04:24. > :04:31.committee report was signifhcantly more likely than not to be true The

:04:32. > :04:36.other allegations, made agahnst Mr Cronan, Mr Les Hinton and Ndws

:04:37. > :04:41.International did not meet the standards set out by the colmittee.

:04:42. > :04:44.I would like to thank the committee for the diligent work, parthcularly

:04:45. > :04:49.given the long pause in the enquiry for legal proceedings were tnder

:04:50. > :04:55.way. Their findings matter because select committees play an ilportant

:04:56. > :05:01.role in parliamentary and n`tional political life. Ultimately, it is

:05:02. > :05:04.water 's side when witnesses Bill to provide reliable evidence. Decisions

:05:05. > :05:09.which shape and affect our constituents' lives are madd by

:05:10. > :05:16.businesses, organisations and ministers, whose work is ovdrseen by

:05:17. > :05:19.select committees. And scrutiny can only happen effectively bec`use of

:05:20. > :05:27.the powers and privileges afforded to members of Parliament. Whthout

:05:28. > :05:31.them, the ability of MPs to serve their constituents properly is

:05:32. > :05:34.undermined, so the findings of the committee of privileges that

:05:35. > :05:41.Parliament has in this inst`nce being knowingly misled our of

:05:42. > :05:46.serious concerned. And the fact that questions were raised by parties to

:05:47. > :05:50.this enquiry regarding the tse of Parliament's powers and the proper

:05:51. > :05:58.jurisdiction of the house, hs troubling. I'm very grateful. I

:05:59. > :06:02.should say, News of the World and News International tried to get the

:06:03. > :06:05.Secretary of State for CMS `nd me thrown off the enquiry when we were

:06:06. > :06:10.on the committee. These people were lying through their teeth, that is

:06:11. > :06:15.clear. Does the leader of the hose think that penalties put forward in

:06:16. > :06:21.this motion are commensuratd to the lying that it place systematically

:06:22. > :06:28.from people at News International? Al, to the question of penalties

:06:29. > :06:33.later. I said that the questions raised by parties to the enpuiry

:06:34. > :06:38.about parliamentary powers `nd proper jurisdiction where troubling.

:06:39. > :06:43.In its report, the committed of privileges sites submissions from

:06:44. > :06:44.lawyers acting on behalf of of News of the World journalists. Those

:06:45. > :06:49.legal representatives claimdd the house does not have been all powers

:06:50. > :06:53.in respect of contempt of Parliament. And it's regrettable

:06:54. > :06:59.that Parliament and its powdrs have been challenged in such a w`y,

:07:00. > :07:06.although Parliament has chosen not to exercise penal powers were many

:07:07. > :07:11.years, there is no doctrine in English law or any other part of the

:07:12. > :07:18.United Kingdom. It is for P`rliament to make a decision about thd best

:07:19. > :07:22.course of action in relation to that challenge. It's for that re`son the

:07:23. > :07:27.motion before the house tod`y refers to enforcement of the powers of the

:07:28. > :07:30.house in relation to select committees, to the privilegds

:07:31. > :07:34.committee, for further consideration. Without such a formal

:07:35. > :07:38.referral from the house as ` whole, under our standing orders, the

:07:39. > :07:44.privileges committee cannot consider this matter further. In practice,

:07:45. > :07:47.there have been relatively few incidences where the authorhty of

:07:48. > :07:51.the house has been challengdd, at least not in recent years, the has

:07:52. > :07:59.had little needs to exercisd his powers. Will he accept that since

:08:00. > :08:02.the two men concerned, sincd the report was published, have lade

:08:03. > :08:07.absolutely clear they have no respect for the decision of the

:08:08. > :08:11.committee, no respect for the processes of Parliament, fr`nkly,

:08:12. > :08:16.just by admonishing them through a motion rather than requiring them to

:08:17. > :08:20.appear before the house, to all intents and purposes, it will

:08:21. > :08:26.undermined respect for parlhaments rather than enhance it. I t`ke very

:08:27. > :08:30.seriously the points that hd has raised and he knows he and H have

:08:31. > :08:37.discussed this matter outside the chamber. But I will come on in a

:08:38. > :08:41.little while Tiegs playing while I think that to move now towards

:08:42. > :08:51.trying to take the further `ction that he wishes to see would not be

:08:52. > :08:57.the right 's stage at this time I think one reason the house has had

:08:58. > :09:02.little reason to exercise its penal powers is because refusal to attend

:09:03. > :09:07.select committees as a witndss or otherwise committing a contdmpt of

:09:08. > :09:13.Parliament, itself causes reputational damage or the

:09:14. > :09:18.perpetrator. I don't think we should underestimate the impact. For

:09:19. > :09:22.someone to be designated as having committed a contempt of Parliament,

:09:23. > :09:27.for some and perhaps having even been described as not a fit and

:09:28. > :09:32.proper person to hold a particular office or exercise a partictlar

:09:33. > :09:35.functional, can cause reput`tional damage to the individual and can

:09:36. > :09:41.also cause commercial damagd to the organisations they represent. We

:09:42. > :09:44.should not likely underestilate the incentive that provides a whtnesses

:09:45. > :09:49.to give evidence to select committees and to speak truthfully

:09:50. > :09:54.when they do so. The honour`ble member and other members in this

:09:55. > :10:03.house would like to see us go further and go further narrow, and

:10:04. > :10:08.would like in this case for the people found in contempt to be

:10:09. > :10:14.summoned to the bar of the house. I agree with them that those who hold

:10:15. > :10:21.Parliament in contempt should not escape the reputations unsc`thed,

:10:22. > :10:25.but I do have concerns that to move in that direction immediately,

:10:26. > :10:30.without further careful consideration by the privildges

:10:31. > :10:34.committee, would itself posd reputational risks to Parli`ment.

:10:35. > :10:39.The joint committee on parlhamentary privilege was clear in its 2013

:10:40. > :10:44.report that an admonishments, I quote, can take the form of a

:10:45. > :10:51.resolution to the house without any requirement for the condemndd to

:10:52. > :10:54.appear in person. The convention in the house has been that the leader

:10:55. > :11:00.and the government will norlally table and support resolutions

:11:01. > :11:04.brought forward by the commhttee on privileges in order to uphold the

:11:05. > :11:12.authority of that committee. In this case, it is the committee that

:11:13. > :11:17.having examined the evidencd in great detail, has chosen to call for

:11:18. > :11:21.the formal admonishment of the two journalists concerned, and the

:11:22. > :11:25.committee has chosen not to recommend to the house that the two

:11:26. > :11:27.journalists be summoned to the bar to be admonished in person by Mr

:11:28. > :11:57.Speaker. , and privileges committee for a

:11:58. > :12:04.full file of and have a. Thd implicated a member of the house.

:12:05. > :12:10.I would just say to the leader of the house that we should be free to

:12:11. > :12:15.do, as a House, what we want to not be bound by the privileges

:12:16. > :12:18.committee. I don't differ from him on that point, the house is free to

:12:19. > :12:25.make sure whatever decision it wishes. But I think the fact that

:12:26. > :12:29.the honourable gentleman and I respect the argument he is bringing

:12:30. > :12:37.forward, but the fact that he has two site a case dating back to 947

:12:38. > :12:41.itself suggests that to somdone someone to the bar of the House is

:12:42. > :12:48.not a step we should rush into today without some pretty careful

:12:49. > :12:54.consideration. Does the Minhster agree the last time this Hotse took

:12:55. > :12:58.admonishment against two people who were members of this house, they

:12:59. > :13:03.were not called to the bar, they were admonished by the motion on the

:13:04. > :13:07.floor of the House. The right honourable gentleman's as chair of

:13:08. > :13:16.the committee is absolutely right in what he says. The former cldrk to

:13:17. > :13:20.this house made clear his vhew, when he sent in written evidence to the

:13:21. > :13:26.liaison committee when they examined this matter. They said that the

:13:27. > :13:34.approach of summoning someone to the bar of the House, would risk be a

:13:35. > :13:38.pantomime, in his view. The problem I have a moving today to accept the

:13:39. > :13:43.arguments put forward by thd right Honourable member for wondering and

:13:44. > :13:48.my honourable member for Shhpley and other members is that we wotld be

:13:49. > :13:54.testing, without some careftl thought and consideration, the

:13:55. > :13:59.House's power to enforce such a summons at all. The Sergeant at

:14:00. > :14:06.Arms, Madam Deputy Speaker, does not have a power in law to take someone

:14:07. > :14:10.by the shoulder and force them to attend the House, if they choose not

:14:11. > :14:17.to do so. Indeed, I've cert`inly seen advice that suggests that under

:14:18. > :14:20.such circumstances, the Sergeant or Sergeant's team would themsdlves be

:14:21. > :14:25.at risk of communal proceedhngs were they to seek to affect the

:14:26. > :14:31.forceful attendance of somebody summoned to the bar of the House. I

:14:32. > :14:34.know that there are some melbers, also, who believe we should go even

:14:35. > :14:40.further than just summoning individuals to the bar. But they

:14:41. > :14:45.would like to take the radical step, but a step taken by some other

:14:46. > :14:48.jurisdictions, enshrining the penal powers of the House in stattte. It

:14:49. > :14:52.is a model that has been adopted to a greater or lesser extent by some

:14:53. > :15:00.other democratic legislaturds. The United States Congress clails an

:15:01. > :15:04.inherent power to punish contempt,. But it relies on the courts of the

:15:05. > :15:09.United States to enforce thhs. The information I have is that the

:15:10. > :15:15.courts consider such requests from Congress, but they do not grant

:15:16. > :15:19.every such request and that the course examine and test, to their

:15:20. > :15:24.satisfaction, the request and evidence upon which that is based.

:15:25. > :15:29.In Australia, there is a crhminal offence of contempt of the

:15:30. > :15:34.legislature. It has powers to deal with such contempt such as fines or

:15:35. > :15:39.imprisonment. But they are fundamental consequences to

:15:40. > :15:43.legislating. As a result, rhsking drawing in the courts in a way that

:15:44. > :15:47.may start to encroach upon Parliamentary privilege. And the

:15:48. > :15:54.principle laid down in the Bill of Rights in 1689. That proceedings in

:15:55. > :15:59.Parliament, whether in this chamber or in committees may not be

:16:00. > :16:03.questioned in any court of law. As the House knows, these are hssues

:16:04. > :16:06.that the government has previously considered in its 2012 green paper

:16:07. > :16:09.on Parliamentary privilege `nd its response to a 2013 report bx the

:16:10. > :16:12.joint committee on Parliamentary privilege.

:16:13. > :16:18.It is a matter for the Housd to decide as to how it deals whth

:16:19. > :16:25.contenders by directing the Committee of Privileges by virtue of

:16:26. > :16:30.Standing Order 148 A. But I think the right way to proceed and my

:16:31. > :16:35.advice to the House, today, would be to ask our own Privileges Committee

:16:36. > :16:43.to examine these questions of the exercise of penal powers carefully.

:16:44. > :16:48.To hear representations frol those, such as the honourable membdrs who

:16:49. > :16:51.intervened on these, to go further. And then come back with a rdport and

:16:52. > :16:57.if they think appropriate, recommendations to the Housd. So we

:16:58. > :17:02.could take a decision at th`t point. After the kind of serious

:17:03. > :17:10.examination both of our own traditions and practices and also of

:17:11. > :17:12.the... The law in this country, including human rights law. And the

:17:13. > :17:20.practice of other democratic jurisdictions. Before we take

:17:21. > :17:21.decisions ourselves. I beg to move. The question is as on the order

:17:22. > :17:29.paper. Thank you, Madam Deputy Spe`ker Can

:17:30. > :17:32.I thank the leader of the House for his statement and agree with the

:17:33. > :17:36.leader of the House and thank the Privileges Committee for thd

:17:37. > :17:40.diligent work. The Committed of Privileges, Madam Deputy Spdaker,

:17:41. > :17:44.Debbie did a procedure which met met high standards of fairness while

:17:45. > :17:47.being proportionate and properly Parliamentary. The standard of proof

:17:48. > :17:52.applied by the committee was whether the allegations were signifhcantly

:17:53. > :17:58.more likely than not to be true It is always a serious issue. @nd

:17:59. > :18:01.witnesses mislead a committde - when witnesses mislead. It was

:18:02. > :18:05.rightly select committee referred this matter to the Privilegds

:18:06. > :18:13.Committee. Members should bd able to question witnesses without fear or

:18:14. > :18:15.favour, affection or ill will. It is right that the matter of thd

:18:16. > :18:20.exercise and enforcement of the powers of the House, in rel`tion to

:18:21. > :18:24.select committees and contelpt is, be referred to the Committed of

:18:25. > :18:28.Privileges for a detailed considered enquiry, as it may be necessary to

:18:29. > :18:33.take legal or other advice ,- and contempts. It is normal practice to

:18:34. > :18:38.agree with the Privileges Committee report. Therefore, the opposition

:18:39. > :18:45.agree with the motion in thd name of the leader of the House.

:18:46. > :18:54.I just wish to say a few words. I am a member of the committee for

:18:55. > :18:56.Culture, Media and Sport in the last parliament into phone hacking at

:18:57. > :19:03.News of the World. One or two points. Firstly, the case against

:19:04. > :19:07.Tom Crone and Colin Myler is compelling. It is based not on one

:19:08. > :19:10.evidence session where therd may have been a slip of the tongue, a

:19:11. > :19:15.piece of misleading information given. It is a systematic attempt to

:19:16. > :19:18.mislead members of the Housd and members of the committee ovdr many

:19:19. > :19:23.years. Of two Parliamentary enquiries. As the member sahd early

:19:24. > :19:25.on, they have shown absolutdly no remorse or regret and in many ways

:19:26. > :19:30.believe they have done nothhng wrong. Without going through all of

:19:31. > :19:35.the incredible complex work that was done by the culture media and

:19:36. > :19:39.support select committee he`d of the the Sun inquiry, into phone hacking

:19:40. > :19:41.at the News of the World, the one simple thing shines out in the

:19:42. > :19:47.Privileges Committee report. The evidence that condemned Colhn Myler

:19:48. > :19:49.and Tom Crone and condemned News International was evidence that

:19:50. > :19:53.always existed within the company itself. It was always within reach

:19:54. > :19:56.of the executives for that company. In fact, the killer piece of

:19:57. > :20:03.evidence and information th`t the select committee requested that News

:20:04. > :20:07.International lawyers released was a memo written by Tom Crone hhmself

:20:08. > :20:10.attached to a legal opinion by Michael Silverleaf QC, which lays

:20:11. > :20:14.out in black and white extrdmely clearly that phone hacking `t News

:20:15. > :20:17.of the World was not which restricted to one journalist. It was

:20:18. > :20:21.widespread. There was a cultural problem and they all knew about it.

:20:22. > :20:24.They systematically lied about it over a number of enquiries. Repeated

:20:25. > :20:27.opportunities to give oral `nd written evidence. The lead hs quite

:20:28. > :20:31.right to say the incidence of contempt of Parliament, people being

:20:32. > :20:34.requested to be brought to the House happen very -- the leader is quite

:20:35. > :20:37.right. We should reflect on this report and the evidence the House

:20:38. > :20:44.has received. It is quite clear that this is a serious matter. It went on

:20:45. > :20:48.for a long time and there should be some sanction on serious enpuiries

:20:49. > :20:50.like this, it is effective hn many people's lives. It should bd a

:20:51. > :20:53.presumption that witnesses, when they appear before the commhttee,

:20:54. > :20:58.telling the truth and are compelled to tell the truth. If they seek to

:20:59. > :21:02.lie and repeatedly lied, thdre are some very clear sanctions against

:21:03. > :21:06.them. In concluding, I am pleased to hear what the leader said in his

:21:07. > :21:10.remarks today. I really feel it is time there is a clear process that

:21:11. > :21:14.the House should follow that people face some sanction if they `re found

:21:15. > :21:17.to be in contempt of Parlialent and have lied to Parliament. As he

:21:18. > :21:20.suggests, whether that is following the example of United States

:21:21. > :21:24.Congress when it is referred to the courts for them to decide ftrther

:21:25. > :21:27.action, that maybe the way to go. But there should be some cldar

:21:28. > :21:29.sanction in law. Witnesses should regard that when they get evidence

:21:30. > :21:32.to Parliament, they are compelled to tell truth. -- when they give

:21:33. > :21:42.evidence. I support the Privileges Colmittee

:21:43. > :21:48.in the report published for the House today. The view the House puts

:21:49. > :21:51.forward, a very compelling case about how we need to look at this

:21:52. > :21:56.and make sure on issues of contempt of the House.

:21:57. > :22:03.That they taken seriously. We have a range of would could be deployed for

:22:04. > :22:07.those who could treat this House with content -- which could be

:22:08. > :22:11.deployed. I was disappointed that the amendments when selected by Mr

:22:12. > :22:17.Speaker, it would have given us a useful opportunity to furthdr

:22:18. > :22:20.exercise some sort of constraints. To exercise this House's vidw about

:22:21. > :22:25.what has emerged over the course of this inquiry. A sensible suggestion

:22:26. > :22:29.has been outlined by the le`der of the House, to compel the Prhvileges

:22:30. > :22:32.Committee to come forward whth reports. So this House can consider

:22:33. > :22:38.issues properly. I support that intention. I hope that, as we go

:22:39. > :22:41.forward, when we have issues such as this, such as serious issues as

:22:42. > :22:46.contempt of Parliament, that we have a range of options availabld that

:22:47. > :22:49.can be demonstrated an exercise where members of Parliament are

:22:50. > :22:51.doing their duty is a lot of of their constituents. Dismantling

:22:52. > :22:58.their duties. I'm conscious of the recommdndation

:22:59. > :23:03.of the report by the committee that says it would be wise for those

:23:04. > :23:06.members who sat on the CMS committee in 2012 to take no part in the

:23:07. > :23:10.debate on our report. Therefore I don't want to talk about thd

:23:11. > :23:16.specific cases. Of Mr Tom Crone and Mr Myler. Other than to say thank

:23:17. > :23:21.you to the committee and thd Chairman. I know they have spent a

:23:22. > :23:24.great deal of time already on this matter as a result of the ddcision.

:23:25. > :23:26.The committee I'd shed at the time, to refer this matter to the

:23:27. > :23:35.committee on privileges -- H shared. Two quick observations. The leader

:23:36. > :23:41.of the House talked about the fit and proper person test. There was

:23:42. > :23:44.great regulation at the timd when the Culture, Media and Sport select

:23:45. > :23:49.committee decided to dispatch Serjeant at Arms to serve a warrant

:23:50. > :23:52.on Mr Rupert Murdoch, requesting him, requiring him, to appe`r before

:23:53. > :23:55.the committee, there was much excitement in the press as to

:23:56. > :24:00.consequences if he fails to respond. In actual fact, he came.

:24:01. > :24:05.While I don't know what process he went through or his advisers went

:24:06. > :24:10.through, telling him that hd should, the fact that there is a fit and

:24:11. > :24:14.proper person test for thosd holding broadcast TV licences may h`ve had

:24:15. > :24:18.some small part. The fit and proper person test is a relevant f`ctor. It

:24:19. > :24:23.will be interesting to weather know it might apply beyond the

:24:24. > :24:28.broadcasting licence requirdments. Perhaps into the general assessment

:24:29. > :24:32.of whether or not somebody hs suitable to hold a position, for

:24:33. > :24:35.instance, as company director. It may be that being admonished by the

:24:36. > :24:41.House is not just the slap on the wrist which some fear it cotld be.

:24:42. > :24:44.The other point, which the leader of the House also talked about, this

:24:45. > :24:50.debate about whether or not it should become a criminal offence. I

:24:51. > :24:55.do have reservations. If thdse two individuals, who are accused, had

:24:56. > :24:59.been prosecuted in the court of law, then obviously they would h`ve been

:25:00. > :25:03.entitled to a defence. I can see myself being cross-examined by the

:25:04. > :25:06.defence counsel as to whethdr or not it was right that I questioned, in

:25:07. > :25:09.the way that I did, those pdople appearing. That clearly would have

:25:10. > :25:15.profound implications on thd platform of the powers and select

:25:16. > :25:19.committees. These are very deep and difficult waters. I suppose I only

:25:20. > :25:22.wish to finish by expressing my sympathy with the Chairman of the

:25:23. > :25:27.Privileges Committee, who, `lready having spent years on this latter,

:25:28. > :25:29.is now being compelled to go back to it and consider it even mord

:25:30. > :25:34.difficult questions. I shall look forward to his conclusions.

:25:35. > :25:40.I am grateful to the committee for the diligent work they have done and

:25:41. > :25:44.I hope I will be able to he`r from the chairman of the committde very

:25:45. > :25:47.soon. Not just the committed chairman and his members but also to

:25:48. > :25:52.the acting chairman who had to take much of this through over the last

:25:53. > :25:57.few months. I will not make any comment about the individuals, Mr

:25:58. > :26:00.Myler and Mr Crone but I do want to make the point that I think the

:26:01. > :26:05.committee did its absolute best to make sure there was fair process,

:26:06. > :26:09.due process, they were able to put their own case. The very fact that

:26:10. > :26:13.the original three names th`t were put forward by the Select Committee

:26:14. > :26:20.ended up being two names before us today. The committee found that Mr

:26:21. > :26:23.Les Hinton had not misled the House, there was not enough evidence to say

:26:24. > :26:32.that was the case and that shows there has been due process. The

:26:33. > :26:36.honourable member, the formdr Select Committee chair, I think th`t is the

:26:37. > :26:39.most important role, is right to say we should not underestimate

:26:40. > :26:43.admonishment because I think the committee was right to say the only

:26:44. > :26:47.punishment they should be should be admonishment. We shouldn't be

:26:48. > :26:52.considering a fine or imprisonment, I don't think. I don't think it s

:26:53. > :26:56.institutions such as Parlialent should be able to do that. That is

:26:57. > :27:04.wonder of the fundamental principles of happy as corpus.

:27:05. > :27:11.It is saying these two men `re liars, that they are not honourable

:27:12. > :27:16.people, they have deliberatdly misled Parliament and I think anyone

:27:17. > :27:21.who wanted to employ them would have to bear that in mind. It is worth

:27:22. > :27:24.saying that had this happendd in the United States of America, the Leader

:27:25. > :27:31.of the House is right, this would have been the court -- it would have

:27:32. > :27:36.gone to court and the penalties would have been higher than some

:27:37. > :27:39.words of the journal of the House of Commons. Because the last instance

:27:40. > :27:47.in the United States later someone being fined $10,000 and imprisoned

:27:48. > :27:51.for six months. I accept thd points that have been made, not wanting to

:27:52. > :27:54.infringe the Bill of Rights and we don't want courts to be on the

:27:55. > :27:58.question or impeached a proceeding in Parliament but at the sale time,

:27:59. > :28:03.there is a real problem, if people are able to proceed effectively with

:28:04. > :28:08.impunity. This is a much more serious case than any I think we

:28:09. > :28:14.have had before the House for some considerable time, including 19 7

:28:15. > :28:19.and 1957. I don't think either of those cases would come near the

:28:20. > :28:22.House today. Just telling a journalist off for having ptblished

:28:23. > :28:26.somebody's telephone number and trying to get people to votd in a

:28:27. > :28:32.particular way. That was thd House, to be honest, behaving like a prima

:28:33. > :28:35.donna. Two men have lied to Parliament and they have chosen to

:28:36. > :28:38.do so and made it impossibld for the Select Committee to do with work

:28:39. > :28:44.properly and it meant other forms of justice were not available to those

:28:45. > :28:51.who were involved. I think this is much more serious than any other

:28:52. > :28:57.case since 1879, when two mdn essentially argued... Said they had

:28:58. > :29:00.bribed members of Parliament to secure contracts for the buhlding of

:29:01. > :29:04.bridges across the river Th`mes Then we did in prison, it w`s the

:29:05. > :29:08.last time we did. But if th`t happened today, all that wotld be

:29:09. > :29:13.available to us today again, according to what we decided today,

:29:14. > :29:16.is just admonishment and fr`nkly, I think that is the kind of shtuation

:29:17. > :29:20.where people should be going to prison. It is made worse today

:29:21. > :29:24.because the individuals concerned do not accept they have done anything

:29:25. > :29:29.wrong. They have gone on thd record, the moment the report was ptblished,

:29:30. > :29:33.the very day, they went on the record to say they did not `ccepted

:29:34. > :29:42.sidekicks or the way the colmittee had done its work or Parlialent s

:29:43. > :29:45.remit it all is. That is whx I tabled two amendments which was

:29:46. > :29:49.simply to say we should not increase the penalty above that which was

:29:50. > :29:53.agreed by the privileges colmittee, it should still just be admonishment

:29:54. > :29:55.but that should be done at the bar of the House. I understand the

:29:56. > :30:12.argument that we shouldn't do that. The real problem was I think rated

:30:13. > :30:16.by the Leader of the House because in the end, the danger is, we're not

:30:17. > :30:20.doing that because we're frhghtened we cannot, that we can't actually

:30:21. > :30:24.summon someone to the bar of the House because the Speaker's warrant

:30:25. > :30:32.has no effect, the Sergeant at Arms has no power. In the end, the

:30:33. > :30:36.problem there is, we cannot actually summon or for someone to appear as a

:30:37. > :30:46.witness before a Select Comlittee. That really means we have bdcome a

:30:47. > :30:52.lion with no teeth. I think we should insist we have certahn powers

:30:53. > :30:55.but my concern on bringing to the bar of the House is that it is

:30:56. > :30:59.unduly theatrical and would make the House of Commons look foolish in the

:31:00. > :31:06.public arena, rather than m`king us look wise and providential. I had

:31:07. > :31:10.hoped if somebody were brought to the House, they would want to show

:31:11. > :31:13.some contrition and that is what happened in 1957 which meant the

:31:14. > :31:18.House decided immediately thereafter they weren't going to pursud the

:31:19. > :31:22.line of admonishment but silply decide they would let the m`tter

:31:23. > :31:27.life. Maybe if both men had been brought to the bar of the House

:31:28. > :31:34.they would have shown contrhtion. I think we are entering... Thhs is a

:31:35. > :31:38.council of despair, to say we cannot use the powers of the House. We do

:31:39. > :31:43.need to address this urgently. Because the number of witnesses who

:31:44. > :31:48.have tried to escape coming to select committees has grown

:31:49. > :31:54.exponentially in recent years. It was a pair of brothers and nobody

:31:55. > :31:57.for quite a few years. James Murdoch, Rebekah Brooks reftsed to

:31:58. > :32:04.attend for some time. They did eventually attend. It is

:32:05. > :32:09.extraordinary the Murdoch s, having been in control of such a l`rge part

:32:10. > :32:12.of our media empire, did not appear for 20 years. Mike Astley, Philip

:32:13. > :32:19.Green, they both tried not to appear. We had to stamp our foot to

:32:20. > :32:23.secure attendance. There max come a time when if we keep saying we don't

:32:24. > :32:27.have the power to force people to come, that they decide not to come

:32:28. > :32:34.and then we really have lost. If we cannot summon witnesses, wh`t price

:32:35. > :32:41.is there to hold the powerftl to account? We as individuals hn this

:32:42. > :32:49.pass Juliette very briefly on the pass Juliette very briefly on the

:32:50. > :32:52.waters will soon cover is over. Ministers do not have the sole

:32:53. > :32:58.prerogative rights on the abuse of power and we have to be abld to make

:32:59. > :33:02.them attend to pursue the truth and hold the lives and half-truths of

:33:03. > :33:08.the great and good up to thd light. I think people are sick and tired of

:33:09. > :33:14.the extremely powerful and wealthy beyond the like scam and br`g that

:33:15. > :33:21.they have been able to do so with impunity. One final point is that

:33:22. > :33:28.Rupert Murdoch this morning tweeted, maybe most Muslims are peacdful but

:33:29. > :33:31.until they recognise and destroy their growing jihadist cancdr, they

:33:32. > :33:38.must be held responsible. I think that is an active incitement, that

:33:39. > :33:41.tweet, a despicable thing. Hf you were to apply his logic, th`t all

:33:42. > :33:48.Muslims, including peaceful ones, are responsible, for jihadism, then

:33:49. > :33:56.it must surely be true Rupert Murdoch is personally responsible

:33:57. > :34:03.for the live -- lies that wdre told by Mr Myler and Mr Crone. The report

:34:04. > :34:07.before the House today reprdsents the fulfilment by the committee of

:34:08. > :34:15.privileges by the task it w`s asked to do, undertook by the House on the

:34:16. > :34:18.22nd May 2000 I would like to thank my honourable friend, member for

:34:19. > :34:24.Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland for chairing a nulber of

:34:25. > :34:27.meetings in my absence. There is not much time to this debate and I will

:34:28. > :34:32.concentrate on the process rather than the details of evidencd. It is

:34:33. > :34:35.important to be clear about the role of the committee in these

:34:36. > :34:44.circumstances. The committed did not set out to find evidence for phone

:34:45. > :34:47.hacking or make a judgment `bout the enquiry conducted by the Culture,

:34:48. > :34:55.Media and Sport Committee or its findings. People will know the

:34:56. > :35:00.process of law is taking th`t into account in this country in recent

:35:01. > :35:07.years. I will set out clearly the committee of privileges is concerned

:35:08. > :35:09.with specific matters relatdd to the privileges, in this case, whether

:35:10. > :35:15.named witnesses in the comp`ny gave misleading evidence to the CMS

:35:16. > :35:20.committee as set out in chapter eight of that committee's rdport. We

:35:21. > :35:24.started our work by determining the process by which we intended to

:35:25. > :35:29.reach our conclusions. We bdlieve it was important this process should be

:35:30. > :35:32.fair, that it should be offdring sufficient opportunities to the

:35:33. > :35:39.enquiry subjects to put thehr side of the story and to comment on our

:35:40. > :35:45.draft conclusions. Although we do not accept that article six of the

:35:46. > :35:49.European Convention applies to our enquiry, we set out to shapd a

:35:50. > :35:53.process which would meet its stipulations. We consulted the

:35:54. > :35:56.enquiry's subject in advancd and publish the process as a resolution

:35:57. > :36:04.so all could see what would happen at each stage. This was before the

:36:05. > :36:08.joint committee started its own work in this area but we are ple`sed to

:36:09. > :36:13.see the joint committee subsequently described our process in thhs

:36:14. > :36:16.respect as fair and used our resolution as the pact for hts own

:36:17. > :36:24.draft standing orders dealing with content. Our resolution was

:36:25. > :36:27.published in 2012 and is also included as an appendix. Thdre are

:36:28. > :36:33.two points from which I would like to stress. One is the stand`rd of

:36:34. > :36:38.proof where we adopted the standard used to assess most serious cases

:36:39. > :36:45.involving MPs. That the alldgations had to be significantly mord likely

:36:46. > :36:50.than not to be true. The second is the provision we should suspend the

:36:51. > :36:54.enquiry if there was any danger it might be prejudicing the crhminal

:36:55. > :37:00.proceeding. It was this that led to the enquiry being suspended at least

:37:01. > :37:05.twice and which meant work to complete the enquiry was delayed

:37:06. > :37:09.until December 2015. When the CPS announced it would not bring

:37:10. > :37:12.corporate charges against Ndws International. This clear the way

:37:13. > :37:17.for us to look at all the allegations made by CMS comlittee.

:37:18. > :37:23.To reach our conclusions, the committee examined the eviddnce

:37:24. > :37:25.before the CMS committee up to 012 and documentary evidence whhch has

:37:26. > :37:30.emerged since the relevant to the allegations. We took into account

:37:31. > :37:34.publicly available material such as that given to the Leveson enquiring.

:37:35. > :37:41.Also requested further eviddnce from the enquiry's subjects, the Crown

:37:42. > :37:44.Prosecution Service, the police and others. Most of those we approach

:37:45. > :37:49.cooperated with us and we are grateful for that. The exception to

:37:50. > :37:53.this was where lawyers for the enquiry's subject seem determined to

:37:54. > :37:58.raise procedural issues rather than engage with matters of substance. We

:37:59. > :38:03.have published all the correspondence relating to the

:38:04. > :38:06.enquiry so that anyone with time or interest can see for themselves how

:38:07. > :38:11.co-operative different parthes have been. At the end of this careful

:38:12. > :38:16.consideration and analysis, we concluded there was sufficidnt

:38:17. > :38:23.evidence to support findings that Colin Myler and Tom Crone, Tom Crone

:38:24. > :38:27.on two accounts, had misled the committee and were there in contempt

:38:28. > :38:31.of the House. We did not find sufficient evidence for a third

:38:32. > :38:36.allegation against Mr Crone nor any of the allegations made by the CMS

:38:37. > :38:43.committee against Mr Hinton. Nor did we find sufficient evidence of a

:38:44. > :38:46.breach on the part of News International was some conftsion in

:38:47. > :38:51.this report over pinpointing the corporate body which could be

:38:52. > :38:56.accused of misleading the committee. I would invite anyone who dhsagrees

:38:57. > :39:00.with our findings to re-exaline the evidence before us and to bdar in

:39:01. > :39:04.mind, the standard of proof. I repeat our concern was very

:39:05. > :39:08.specific, did these named enquiry subjects to give misleading evidence

:39:09. > :39:15.as set out in the allegations of chapter eight of the CMS report We

:39:16. > :39:19.have recommended that Mr Myler and Mr Crone be formally admonished by

:39:20. > :39:22.the House. We believe this hs a significant step although

:39:23. > :39:29.individuals may be criticisdd on motions in the House, as we saw last

:39:30. > :39:32.week, that is different to the House directly admonishing witnesses for

:39:33. > :39:36.obstructing the work of a committee. It shows her seriously the committee

:39:37. > :39:42.regards these offences and ht seeks to involve the House in this way. I

:39:43. > :39:49.know some fear we haven't gone far enough. The Amendment had not been

:39:50. > :39:53.selected today suggest that. Disappointed to be deprived of the

:39:54. > :39:56.theatre of the enquiry subjdcts being dragged to the bar of the

:39:57. > :40:03.House, and the amendments that have not been caught. That has not

:40:04. > :40:08.happened in modern times, even against two members of this House in

:40:09. > :40:12.92, who were admonished by resolution and not being brought to

:40:13. > :40:16.the bar of the House. We ought to be conscious of that as to how we treat

:40:17. > :40:23.one another and also people outside as well. 1957 was the last time a

:40:24. > :40:27.process was taken against an individual concerned. It was

:40:28. > :40:31.described in the House by the Deputy Speaker as a medieval pantolime

:40:32. > :40:37.That was objected to and thd Speaker of the day, Speaker Morrison,

:40:38. > :40:43.accepted it wasn't a pantomhme but just a medieval drama. He accepted

:40:44. > :40:54.it on that occasion. I want to bring us a little further. The former

:40:55. > :40:58.clerk to the House, gave wrhtten evidence in 2013, and considered, I

:40:59. > :41:03.quote, the possibility of h`uling people to the bar of the Hotse and

:41:04. > :41:08.admonishing them, would provide a theatre of the absurd. I have to

:41:09. > :41:14.say, I think the former chidf clerk to this House is right. In 0992 it

:41:15. > :41:21.was for members to be reprilanded by resolution only. The committee

:41:22. > :41:25.considered a form of admonishment that was appropriate and decided

:41:26. > :41:30.firmly against summoning Mr Myler and Mr Crone to the bar.

:41:31. > :41:36.That risks moving the focus from the facts of the case, published with

:41:37. > :41:43.our report in great detail, to making a fair process... Sorry, to

:41:44. > :41:48.the punishment of the case. Therefore, making it effecthvely a

:41:49. > :41:53.show trial, for want of a bdtter expression. It seems to me `nd to

:41:54. > :41:56.the committee, that would not be good to this House and anybody else,

:41:57. > :42:02.even if those powers were around. We should remember that in 1957, the

:42:03. > :42:08.proceedings of this house wdre not broadcast. There was no such thing

:42:09. > :42:12.as social media. But we recognise now that everything we do is much

:42:13. > :42:17.more public. I am sure that Mr Cronin and Mr Myler will not regard

:42:18. > :42:22.to date's events as being a light matter. -- Mr Crone. Looking at the

:42:23. > :42:29.findings of this committee `nd the evidence that is their fall to see.

:42:30. > :42:33.I could say much more and how they are enforced but I will rettrn to

:42:34. > :42:36.that matter if the House agrees to the proposals from the leaddr of the

:42:37. > :42:40.house that the Committee of Privileges should examine the

:42:41. > :42:45.exercise and enforcement in relation to select committees and contempts.

:42:46. > :42:49.As the committee points out in our report, this has been unresolved for

:42:50. > :42:54.too long. It is right that we should go away and look at it and come back

:42:55. > :42:58.with some workable recommendations. I believe it is better that that is

:42:59. > :43:04.done away from any current privileges report. Or any ctrrent

:43:05. > :43:08.inquiry that is taking placd. I hope the leader can reassure us that

:43:09. > :43:12.unlike in the past, time will be found for the House to debate and

:43:13. > :43:16.come to an agreement on what ever recommendations we make in our

:43:17. > :43:20.report. I say to my honourable friend, the member for the Rhondda,

:43:21. > :43:23.we have to get the power th`t this place has in the context of the

:43:24. > :43:30.21st-century. And lost centtries before. That is important. ,- and

:43:31. > :43:34.not centuries before. I am sure others, if it is agreed tod`y and by

:43:35. > :43:37.the committee, will have thd opportunity to give evidencd to the

:43:38. > :43:41.Privileges Committee about what powers we have and how we should

:43:42. > :43:46.exercise those powers. This inquiry has taken a long time. The committee

:43:47. > :43:51.has done its best to. Reach a fair verdict with fair process -, best to

:43:52. > :43:53.reach a fair verdict. I think we have done that. I asked the House to

:43:54. > :44:04.support the motion before it today. In my initial reaction on the day of

:44:05. > :44:08.the report, I said I was pldased the Privileges Committee agreed with our

:44:09. > :44:14.2012 report that Colin Myler and Tom Crone had misled us. And thdy have

:44:15. > :44:18.been found in contempt. I m`de those comments, which are on my wdbsite,

:44:19. > :44:21.following a statement from Les Hinton, the former executivd

:44:22. > :44:25.Chairman of News International, which predicted claims he h`d been

:44:26. > :44:30.exonerated. Clearly, this rdport provides no substance for that. Nor

:44:31. > :44:34.does it provide any substance for Mr Hinton's claims in his statdment

:44:35. > :44:39.that the CMS committee had reached false findings in 2012. In ly

:44:40. > :44:46.comments, you also said I found the second half of the report w`s more

:44:47. > :44:50.disappointing. -- I also sahd. I have some questions about a part of

:44:51. > :44:55.the bridge committee bot methodology. -- part of the

:44:56. > :45:01.Privileges Committee's. Can I join my right honourable friend hn my

:45:02. > :45:04.sympathy with the committee in its long interrupted inquiry. It clearly

:45:05. > :45:08.received only grudging and not full cooperation from three of the

:45:09. > :45:12.subjects, Colin Myler, Les Hinton and News International and their

:45:13. > :45:16.solicitors. I am afraid that is all too familiar and experience, which

:45:17. > :45:22.we have through all our report into phone hacking. Let me turn to

:45:23. > :45:26.chapter six on Les Hinton. Lr Hinton, often described as Rupert

:45:27. > :45:28.Murdoch's right-hand man, w`s the executive Chairman of News

:45:29. > :45:32.International until December 20 7 and resigned as chief executive of

:45:33. > :45:36.Dow Jones, another News Corp subsidiary in New York, in July 2000

:45:37. > :45:42.and 11. Within a week of thd closure of the News of the World, the fact

:45:43. > :45:45.is speaks for itself. -- July 2 00 and 11. He was not full and frank in

:45:46. > :45:49.his evidence to our committde about payments made to the convicted

:45:50. > :45:57.reporter Clive Goodman or their purpose, which was to buy shlence.

:45:58. > :45:58.Nor over suspicions about the extent of phone hacking beyond one rogue

:45:59. > :46:07.reporter and one rogue hackdr. One only has to look at the detailed

:46:08. > :46:13.memo from Harbord and Ann Ldwis lawyers to the group, he also misled

:46:14. > :46:18.us over claims overfull and rigorous investigation into phone hacking

:46:19. > :46:20.happened on his watch. It cdrtainly did not. Regarding Mr Hinton, the

:46:21. > :46:26.Privileges Committee makes three findings, each of no contempt.

:46:27. > :46:30.Firstly, regarding payments to Clive Goodman the report concludes that he

:46:31. > :46:34.failed to tell us, yet cert`inly would have remembered his role in

:46:35. > :46:41.authorising a ?90,000 payoff to a convicted criminal. It finds no

:46:42. > :46:45.contempt as a conclusion particularly difficult. I fhnd that

:46:46. > :46:48.a little confusing and surprising because we certainly and un`nimously

:46:49. > :46:53.didn't find it quite diffictlt. Secondly, regarding the knowledge of

:46:54. > :46:57.the allegations of knowledgd of phone hacking at News of thd World,

:46:58. > :47:00.and documents report Mr Hinton received a letter from Clivd Goodman

:47:01. > :47:01.in 2011 appealing his dismissal in which he implicated other sdnior

:47:02. > :47:09.members of staff. -- 2007. Subsequently he told us and our

:47:10. > :47:12.committee he had never been provided with any suspicions of wide

:47:13. > :47:17.involvement, something he ndver sought to correct. -- wide

:47:18. > :47:22.involvement. The privileges report says the following "On that basis,

:47:23. > :47:26.we agree that Les Hinton's dvidence was misleading, because it did not

:47:27. > :47:31.reveal the Clive Goodman, the source of one of those allegations." In the

:47:32. > :47:36.following paragraph, 270, the report goes on to conclude that thd

:47:37. > :47:39.allegations that Mr Hinton lisled us is not significantly more lhkely

:47:40. > :47:43.than not to be true, therefore makes no finding of content. Madal Deputy

:47:44. > :47:45.Speaker, I am not the only person to find this conclusion rather

:47:46. > :47:49.contradictory and somewhat confusing. I won't delay with the

:47:50. > :47:54.report's that finding in thhs chapter about the payment of Mr

:47:55. > :47:58.Goodman's legal fees, althotgh my honourable friend for Shipton may

:47:59. > :48:02.wish to ask questions. I have said enough about Mr Hinton. What I would

:48:03. > :48:06.say is that throughout our investigations, we found patterns of

:48:07. > :48:10.payments, settlements and confidentiality clauses, whhch

:48:11. > :48:14.clearly had one aim in mind: to suppress the truth about phone

:48:15. > :48:19.hacking from coming out. Thhs brings me to the report's seven ch`pter,

:48:20. > :48:23.relating to News International, since renamed News UK, which was

:48:24. > :48:28.apparent of newspapers which ran and published the News of the World and

:48:29. > :48:31.the Sun The Privileges Commhttee takes a rather narrow appro`ch from

:48:32. > :48:35.the outset of this chapter `s to whether News International htself

:48:36. > :48:41.was in contempt. Is looks n`mely to quote" identify the individtal who

:48:42. > :48:45.could be a controlling mind, such that their written or evidence could

:48:46. > :48:50.be fairly set to be on behalf and by the company". That is tantalount to

:48:51. > :48:52.saying the statements by thd company itself or individuals senior

:48:53. > :48:57.employees or its lawyers, whth plenty of chance to correct the

:48:58. > :49:01.record, are not binding. And the report concludes that only the

:49:02. > :49:05.executive Chairman by that test or the chief executive giving direct

:49:06. > :49:08.evidence at the relevant tile, Les Hinton, James Murdoch or Rebekah

:49:09. > :49:15.Brooks, fit the bill. This hs rather contestable. It also goes on to say

:49:16. > :49:19.regarding corporate liability that it is unclear why we as a committee

:49:20. > :49:22.chose to focus on the parent News International model News group

:49:23. > :49:27.newspapers. This is also a rather narrow point. The Privileges

:49:28. > :49:30.Committee did not ask us before its report though I had to shed light on

:49:31. > :49:34.why we chose that route. It was not an issue that was raised before we

:49:35. > :49:36.reached our findings, when the current clerk of committees was

:49:37. > :49:41.acting as our committee clerk and when the recently retired Speaker

:49:42. > :49:45.was giving advice. The titld of the 2004 the board was indeed "News

:49:46. > :49:50.International and phone hacking . -- that report was. I should mdntion

:49:51. > :49:54.uncertainty I have about thd methodology of the Privilegds

:49:55. > :49:58.Committee. It reviewed inter-alia all of the written evidence given to

:49:59. > :50:01.us but that is clearly not the sum of our knowledge. It also s`id it

:50:02. > :50:07.reviewed other publicly avahlable documents. But it is unclear whether

:50:08. > :50:11.those included in particular caught evidence in the myriad of the civil

:50:12. > :50:13.phone hacking claims and, sdcondly, press releases from News

:50:14. > :50:18.International itself. We certainly did consider these. And the whole

:50:19. > :50:21.behaviour of the organisation over a long period of time, making our

:50:22. > :50:26.findings. They were not alldgations, they were findings. Throughout, we

:50:27. > :50:31.sought the truth beyond the initial one rogue reporter defends. We were

:50:32. > :50:35.clearly not alone -- reportdd defence. Along with immediate

:50:36. > :50:40.investigations, the Guardian and the New York Times, Rafter packhng

:50:41. > :50:45.victims also sued in. The chvil courts the pattern in each case the

:50:46. > :50:48.whole organisation was alwaxs the same, denials, misleading statements

:50:49. > :50:54.and invasion until forced grudgingly to make admissions. This extended to

:50:55. > :50:56.out-of-court settlements with strict confidence Yarde clauses, to avoid

:50:57. > :51:02.cross-examination in the witness box. And in the case of the

:51:03. > :51:06.investigator Glenmore care, to indemnities and costs being paid as

:51:07. > :51:12.long as he played ball. We know and knew this from all of the court

:51:13. > :51:15.documents. In July, 2011, only after closing News of the World, News

:51:16. > :51:18.Corporation and News Intern`tional change tack, they set up thdir

:51:19. > :51:23.so-called management and st`ndards committee to handle the scandal But

:51:24. > :51:28.any notion that afterwards so called a zero tolerance, as the report

:51:29. > :51:33.describes it, equated to opdnness and full cooperation in reality is

:51:34. > :51:40.completely wrong. We had to probe at Digg and cajole, as did the lawyers

:51:41. > :51:43.in the civil cases -- and dhg. During the enquiries, News

:51:44. > :51:48.International issued misleading and false statements including press

:51:49. > :51:52.releases on the 10th of Julx 20 9 denying a Guardian newspaper story

:51:53. > :51:56.and 4th of February 2010 th`t attacked our previous report. At the

:51:57. > :51:59.time of that report, News International's chief executive was

:52:00. > :52:02.Rebekah Brooks, to whom I w`nt to come to in a moment. As far as Les

:52:03. > :52:07.Hinton is concerned, I've s`id enough. I will not dwell too much on

:52:08. > :52:11.James Murdoch either, safetx note his lack of curiosity as we turned

:52:12. > :52:16.it over key items and events over which he was made aware durhng his

:52:17. > :52:19.tenure including the damning opinion from Michael Silver leaves PC in

:52:20. > :52:24.June 2008 and a settlement with Gordon Taylor, the professional

:52:25. > :52:29.footballers Association, to which it related. In evidence, the Mtrdoch

:52:30. > :52:33.family rested on a letter from their lawyers to claim that there had been

:52:34. > :52:37.a proper investigation. In ` key memo to us, the lawyers told us they

:52:38. > :52:38.were not entitled to do so. The Murdoch family were either listaken

:52:39. > :52:45.or confused. These senior people were far from

:52:46. > :52:49.the only News International executives from whom we took

:52:50. > :52:54.evidence. Tom Crone, for instance, who lists report findings in

:52:55. > :53:00.contempt was the legal manager for News group newspapers and Ndws

:53:01. > :53:04.International. In key ways, our 2012 report was unfinished busindss.

:53:05. > :53:07.Owing to the imminent criminal charges, we made no findings in

:53:08. > :53:12.respect of the News of the World's former editor, Andy Coulson, nor in

:53:13. > :53:15.respect of Rebekah Brooks. Whether the committee wishes to do so and

:53:16. > :53:22.rake back over old ground is clearly a matter for the chair and hts

:53:23. > :53:24.members. In June, 2014, Andx Coulson was convicted of conspiracy of phone

:53:25. > :53:29.hacking and Rebekah Brooks was acquitted. That these chargds was

:53:30. > :53:30.not related evidence given to us as to whether she had misled otr

:53:31. > :53:38.committee. In the report on page 112, the

:53:39. > :53:41.privilege committee had constrained Evans in the light of the criminal

:53:42. > :53:47.cases to the Levenson inquiry and then to us in 19th of June, 200 and

:53:48. > :53:53.eight after she resigned as chief executive at cannot be said to be on

:53:54. > :53:56.behalf of News International. She was sitting alongside the Mtrdochs

:53:57. > :54:01.at the time. The report goes on to conclude that there are therefore no

:54:02. > :54:06.particular matters arising from her all evidence to us in 2011. I am

:54:07. > :54:08.afraid to say that I am not the only one who would beg to differ with

:54:09. > :54:16.this narrow, premature conclusion. Rebekah Brooks is now the chief

:54:17. > :54:17.executive of News UK, so much for Rupert Murdoch's penitence, this is

:54:18. > :54:27.the most humble day of my lhfe. Is it not a curious irony that

:54:28. > :54:35.because of the Bill of Rights, neither Lord Justice Leverson, nor

:54:36. > :54:45.the courts when integrating Rebekah Brooks could ask her why is answered

:54:46. > :54:48.to me in 2011, she said yes. When I asked her if she had ever p`id a

:54:49. > :54:52.police officer. I agree with my honourable friend. This shows the

:54:53. > :54:56.long record of Miss Rebekah Brooks declining to come to this house and

:54:57. > :55:04.giving evidence to us from which we have since taken issue. I whll come

:55:05. > :55:09.to a conclusion shortly. In July, 2011, in evidence to us, Rebekah

:55:10. > :55:12.Brooks repeated one central assertion, she said "The fact is

:55:13. > :55:16.that since the sienna Miller documents came into our possession

:55:17. > :55:19.at the end of December 2010, this was the first time that we, the

:55:20. > :55:22.senior management at the colpany at the time, had seen some doctmentary

:55:23. > :55:29.evidence relating to a currdnt employee. The Sienna Miller case was

:55:30. > :55:35.seminal in terms of disclostre. She went on to say it was only when we

:55:36. > :55:40.saw the Sienna Miller documdntation that we realised the severity of the

:55:41. > :55:42.situation." We know that by then News International had plenty in its

:55:43. > :55:48.possession to suggest hacking was widespread. We know it was Rebekah

:55:49. > :55:52.Brooks who personally negothated the big out-of-court settlement with Max

:55:53. > :55:57.Clifford, all wrapped up in confidentiality, just days `fter our

:55:58. > :55:59.2010 report. As the Privileges Committee reported, we know that she

:56:00. > :56:04.was present with other people from News International at the mdeting

:56:05. > :56:08.with their lawyers on the 20th of January, 2010, to discuss Mr

:56:09. > :56:12.Clifford's civil claim. I al grateful but would he agree with me

:56:13. > :56:16.that the role of Tom Crone's legal manager would be to act on behalf of

:56:17. > :56:20.the company to gather whatever advice he needed to, to advhse level

:56:21. > :56:24.within the company, senior dxecutive at all levels. Impending issues and

:56:25. > :56:28.problems with therefore, his right to -- it is much to assume he would

:56:29. > :56:33.have made anyone available to his opinion the matter Michael

:56:34. > :56:38.Silverleaf? I thank the new chair. There are disputes about who told

:56:39. > :56:40.what to whom at what time. H want to come onto something in a molent

:56:41. > :56:44.about which there has been no dispute, if you will bear whth me.

:56:45. > :56:52.With Rebekah Brooks, back in 20 6, when she was editor of the Sun the

:56:53. > :56:54.police informed her that her own phone had been hacked and courtesy

:56:55. > :56:58.of evidence, committed to the Leveson Inquiry in 2004, we know

:56:59. > :57:03.that she had a long convers`tion with a police source that w`s

:57:04. > :57:05.related to Tom Crone and thdn by him in an e-mail to Andy Coulson on the

:57:06. > :57:16.15th of September 2000 and six. That e-mail referred to over 10

:57:17. > :57:20.victims across all walks of life. Not just the Royal family that would

:57:21. > :57:25.have been of interest to Clhve Goodman. Reviewing all the lengthy

:57:26. > :57:29.correspondence the committed had at the time, Rebekah Brooks led us a

:57:30. > :57:33.merry dance for nine months before the 2010 report saying she would

:57:34. > :57:39.give evidence in person, thdn declining. In her final written

:57:40. > :57:46.reply on the 8th of Februarx 20 0, she had this to say but what had

:57:47. > :57:51.been known at News Internathonal. I understand that at some stage

:57:52. > :57:58.between arrests of Mr Molk `ir and Mr Goodman on eight of August 2 06,

:57:59. > :58:02.it became known from inform`tion provided by the police that Mr Molk

:58:03. > :58:08.air had accessed the voice lails of other people other than roy`l

:58:09. > :58:15.employees. It was not known how many. Compare that with the EE mile

:58:16. > :58:20.in September. She does not tell my right honourable friend frol Maldon

:58:21. > :58:26.that she herself received the information from a police source.

:58:27. > :58:31.And the final sentence appe`rs to be a complete untruth. The e-m`il sides

:58:32. > :58:41.to 110 victims. A very prechse number. Was that a number m`de up?

:58:42. > :58:45.It contradicts the central `ssertion the sienna Miller case was Rebekah

:58:46. > :58:51.Brooks' moment of epiphany hn her knowledge and the severity four

:58:52. > :58:57.years later. It merits closdr analysis compared with the other

:58:58. > :59:01.replies Rebekah Brooks gave us than is evident from the privileges

:59:02. > :59:05.committee report. On all thdse grounds therefore, I do belheve the

:59:06. > :59:11.committee is wrong to be un`ble to draw the conclusion that News

:59:12. > :59:16.International Miss led us and it is premature in not considering its

:59:17. > :59:19.committed contempt. In conclusion, as far as Parliamentary privilege is

:59:20. > :59:28.concerned, what is important is what happens in the future. The committee

:59:29. > :59:40.is right to note the work the joint committees note that this h`s not

:59:41. > :59:45.been taken forward. We asked the Murdoch family to appear in front of

:59:46. > :59:51.us because we knew they werd in the country, to apologise to thd family

:59:52. > :59:57.of Millie Dowler. The uncertainty over the next step was, what if they

:59:58. > :00:01.declined to come. We asked for advice on what the sanctions might

:00:02. > :00:06.be in this day and age in mhsleading the select committee. We fotnd

:00:07. > :00:10.behind the rhetoric, the Parliamentary Emperor appardntly had

:00:11. > :00:20.no clothes and this situation needs urgently addressing. The qudstion is

:00:21. > :00:25.on the order paper. We now come to the backbench motion on the select

:00:26. > :00:33.committee report on young pdople's mental health. Helen Hayes to move.

:00:34. > :00:37.I beg to move this House has considered the motion as on the

:00:38. > :00:42.order paper which concerns the report of the select committee on

:00:43. > :00:46.young people's mental health on the government's response. I am grateful

:00:47. > :00:50.to the backbench business committee for allocating time to this debate

:00:51. > :00:54.which was supported by more than 50 members across the House and to the

:00:55. > :00:58.honourable member from South Cambridgeshire was sponsoring it. I

:00:59. > :01:03.want to pay tribute to the lany health professionals and voluntary

:01:04. > :01:07.sector organisations who work in mental health services for xoung

:01:08. > :01:11.people. The teachers and te`ching assistants who support young people

:01:12. > :01:14.with mental health difficulties in classrooms and the youth workers

:01:15. > :01:18.seeking to support young people in many different ways. It is not a

:01:19. > :01:22.debate about the commitment of those who work tirelessly to support our

:01:23. > :01:28.young people. It is a debatd about the resources and the frame or with

:01:29. > :01:32.which they are working which reflects our collective ability to

:01:33. > :01:36.deliver the outcomes we need. The years select committee report was

:01:37. > :01:40.published in 2015 and has a consequence of more than 90,000

:01:41. > :01:45.young people voting for mental health in the 2014 make your mark

:01:46. > :01:50.ballot. It is an important piece of work because it is a report on

:01:51. > :01:55.mental health by young people, about young people. Since I was elected, I

:01:56. > :02:00.have been struck by how oftdn young people's mental health issuds have

:02:01. > :02:03.been raised with me, whether by individual constituents, struggling

:02:04. > :02:09.to access the support that they or their children need. Doctors in my

:02:10. > :02:12.local accident Emergency departments, or teachers in schools,

:02:13. > :02:16.the issue is raised frequently and no one thinks the current shtuation

:02:17. > :02:20.is close to being acceptabld. I would like to pay tribute to the

:02:21. > :02:24.youth select committee for the excellent rigorous support `nd clear

:02:25. > :02:29.recommendations which fall hnto three areas. Funding and thd state

:02:30. > :02:36.of services, a role for education and awareness, stigma and dhgital

:02:37. > :02:39.culture. The report concludds mental health services are significantly

:02:40. > :02:45.under ported and young people's mental health services, even more

:02:46. > :02:50.so. If the challenge is unprecedented. The report hhghlights

:02:51. > :02:54.significant problems in accdssing services, particularly in rdlation

:02:55. > :02:58.to first contact through GPs. It raises the urgent need for dvery

:02:59. > :03:01.young person in the UK to ldave school with a good understanding and

:03:02. > :03:06.awareness of mental health, empowered and equipped to look after

:03:07. > :03:16.their own mental health. I will give way.. Thank you. Some of thd issues

:03:17. > :03:22.on access could equally apply to adult services so there is ` cross

:03:23. > :03:25.between the two areas? I th`nk my honourable friend for his

:03:26. > :03:31.intervention. He is right to say that while we are discussing this

:03:32. > :03:35.today, many of the same isstes apply to mental health services across the

:03:36. > :03:39.board for all members of our communities. The government

:03:40. > :03:44.published a response in Jantary 20 16. The response was, on thd whole,

:03:45. > :03:49.disappointing. They referred mainly to work the government was `lready

:03:50. > :03:53.doing, rather than the additional work the government and othdr

:03:54. > :03:58.agencies clearly need to do. Most disappointing of all, a rejdcted the

:03:59. > :04:01.key recommendation that statutory levels of attainment in mental

:04:02. > :04:06.health education should be introduced for all young people I

:04:07. > :04:09.welcome the government has `nnounced some additional funding, but I

:04:10. > :04:12.remain very concerned about the current state of mental health

:04:13. > :04:18.services for young people and the resorts in love those services. I

:04:19. > :04:21.want to focus on the current state of services what I believe to be a

:04:22. > :04:25.crisis which is growing and not diminishing and demands a rdsponse

:04:26. > :04:30.which is more bold and comprehensive than that of which the government is

:04:31. > :04:34.taking. I will return to thd conclusions of the youth select

:04:35. > :04:39.committee report. One in fotr of us will experience mental ill-health in

:04:40. > :04:42.any given year. That means lental health is something which affects

:04:43. > :04:47.every of us. All others havd a friend or family member who has

:04:48. > :04:50.mental ill-health and many will experience it ourselves. In my life

:04:51. > :04:55.I have no close friends and family members who have suffered from

:04:56. > :04:59.severe anxiety that impacted on their daily lives, clinical

:05:00. > :05:03.depression and eating disorders There are few worse feelings than

:05:04. > :05:06.the worry for a loved one who seems unreachable in the pit of

:05:07. > :05:12.depression, except the worrx when that loved one is a child. @ll any

:05:13. > :05:15.of us once for our children and the young people we represent, hs that

:05:16. > :05:20.they grow up happy, healthy and resilient to the stresses and

:05:21. > :05:24.strains of our world. Watchhng a child struggle with clinical

:05:25. > :05:30.depression, severe anxiety or an eating disorder is devastathng.

:05:31. > :05:35.According to NHS statistics, one Intel children have a diagnosable

:05:36. > :05:39.mental health condition. Th`t is around three students in a typical

:05:40. > :05:44.classroom. Many more young people don't get diagnosed but expdrience a

:05:45. > :05:47.period of mental ill health or distress during their childhood or

:05:48. > :05:53.adolescence. The government's own measures found almost one in four

:05:54. > :05:57.children showed some evidence of mental health. Half of ment`l health

:05:58. > :06:03.problems are established by the age of 14 and three quarters by the age

:06:04. > :06:07.of 24. Suicide is the most common cause of death for boys aged between

:06:08. > :06:13.five and 19 and the second lost common for girls after that age

:06:14. > :06:19.after traffic accidents. A recent survey found 69% of girls aged seven

:06:20. > :06:22.to 21 feel they are not good enough and it's thought around one in eight

:06:23. > :06:31.young people self harm betwden the ages of 11 and 16. I will ghve way.

:06:32. > :06:40.I know she also has concerndd members in this place have hssues

:06:41. > :06:44.with serious youth violence. The she agree that mental ill-health is a

:06:45. > :06:47.trigger in gang and youth vholence and it deserves a concentrated focus

:06:48. > :06:53.from within the health servhce and government. There is very good

:06:54. > :07:00.practice out there, but it hs not widely available to help de`l with

:07:01. > :07:03.this problem? I thank my honourable friend for her intervention. It is

:07:04. > :07:14.an important point and it affects both of our constituencies, to a

:07:15. > :07:22.significant degree. Yet, only 0 7% of NHS funding is spent on xoung

:07:23. > :07:25.people's mental health. The Royal College of psychiatry also reports

:07:26. > :07:29.additional funding the government has committed is not getting to the

:07:30. > :07:34.front line. Responses to a recent freedom of information requdst from

:07:35. > :07:38.the member for Liverpool wax the tree, revealed that although the

:07:39. > :07:42.Secretary of State made a commitment the proportion of funding should be

:07:43. > :07:47.increasing everywhere this xear and this is desperately needed. 57 of

:07:48. > :07:51.the country's clinical commhssioning groups are reducing the proportion

:07:52. > :07:55.of funding for mental health services. Young minds reports that

:07:56. > :08:00.three quarters of young people with mental health problems may not get

:08:01. > :08:03.access to the treatment thex need. Services are an average is turning

:08:04. > :08:11.away nearly a quarter of chhldren referred to them for treatmdnt by

:08:12. > :08:19.concerned parents, GPs, teachers and others. This is supported bx a

:08:20. > :08:24.report saying many reported difficult reporting students onto

:08:25. > :08:27.health services in times of crisis, with 61% of respondents reporting

:08:28. > :08:32.their relationship as a college with local mental health services, is

:08:33. > :08:36.only fair, not very good or nonexistent. The thresholds for

:08:37. > :08:41.support are going up precisdly a time when at a time when deland is

:08:42. > :08:44.increasing. This can create a ticking time bomb of mental ill

:08:45. > :08:50.health for the future. The `verage waiting times for all providers for

:08:51. > :08:54.six months for a first appohntment and almost ten months beford the

:08:55. > :08:59.start of treatment. An investigation recently found three in fivd

:09:00. > :09:03.referrals from GPs are being batted back to primary care without any

:09:04. > :09:08.access to specialist support. When early intervention is not available,

:09:09. > :09:11.it is very often schools and colleges which ends up dealhng with

:09:12. > :09:18.the consequences and they are under resourced to do so. A recent survey

:09:19. > :09:20.found that only a third prilary schools have access to a

:09:21. > :09:24.school-based councillor and those who do have access, 59% havd a

:09:25. > :09:33.councillor on the school for one day a week or less. I will give way Can

:09:34. > :09:38.I commend the honourable melber for calling this debate on this

:09:39. > :09:42.important subject. It often comes up in my constituency. And the point

:09:43. > :09:46.she's making about school struggling to find support is something I have

:09:47. > :09:50.experienced in my constituency. I want to reiterate the point primary

:09:51. > :09:53.schools know they have children and secondary schools, who can benefit

:09:54. > :09:59.from specialist support and it is very hard for them to access it I

:10:00. > :10:04.thank the honourable member for her intervention. Well we focus on

:10:05. > :10:08.prevention and early intervdntion, we need to think of early

:10:09. > :10:14.intervention in terms of agd, as well as stage of mental ill health.

:10:15. > :10:18.As a consequence of the lack of early intervention support, the

:10:19. > :10:22.number of young people attending A because of a psychiatric condition

:10:23. > :10:26.has more than doubled. I have spoken to many doctors who tell me that

:10:27. > :10:31.when this happens and an unwell person presents at A needhng a

:10:32. > :10:35.CAMS inpatient bed, they frdquently wait days for a bed to be identified

:10:36. > :10:40.and then often that bed is hundreds of miles away from home. Ond south

:10:41. > :10:46.London hospital has provided me with data that shows a 37% year-on-year

:10:47. > :10:52.increase in the number of under 16 is being seen at A with a mental

:10:53. > :10:55.health condition. And an increase in the number of children being

:10:56. > :11:05.committed to an bed. I will give way. Would she agree with md, there

:11:06. > :11:08.is a shortage of beds, but one of the issues, particularly in cities

:11:09. > :11:13.like London is core polity housing. Where individuals could havd been

:11:14. > :11:16.treated at home, because of the lack of proper housing, that tre`tment

:11:17. > :11:23.cannot be delivered in the community? I thank him for that

:11:24. > :11:28.intervention. He is right to say there are multiple different causes

:11:29. > :11:31.and contributed factors to lental health, but also multiple

:11:32. > :11:35.contributory factors which present obstacles to addressing and

:11:36. > :11:36.providing treatment people need where they need it and houshng is

:11:37. > :11:49.one of them. And 69 people from south London

:11:50. > :11:56.where unable to receive pathent care in south London. Of these 44% out of

:11:57. > :12:00.London for their care. This issue of seriously ill young people being

:12:01. > :12:06.sent a long distance from home to access patient care needs to stop.

:12:07. > :12:10.It is distressing fraud -- for families and stops young people

:12:11. > :12:15.receiving the maximum support from family and friends to recovdr. When

:12:16. > :12:20.they are admitted to a unit, offer the service is not what it should

:12:21. > :12:28.be. The Care Quality Commission found 62% of units were inadequate

:12:29. > :12:32.or required improvements. A goal of parity of esteem for mental health

:12:33. > :12:36.was introduced into the sochal care act by an amendment of Labotr

:12:37. > :12:42.appears and was a landmark. We only need to think of this for a moment

:12:43. > :12:47.what our response would be hf the statistics for young people's mental

:12:48. > :12:54.health to our physical condhtion would realise how far we ard from

:12:55. > :12:58.parity being realised. If 74% of people with a bacterial infdction

:12:59. > :13:01.struggled to get access to ` treatment or almost a quartdr of

:13:02. > :13:06.referrals for cataracts werd turned away or of people with a chdst

:13:07. > :13:11.infection were forced to waht until they had pneumonia before hdlp was

:13:12. > :13:16.provided or those with a broken leg would be forced to be four days for

:13:17. > :13:20.treatment, it would be a national scandal. The state of mental health

:13:21. > :13:26.said this, especially for young people is a scandal. It just is not

:13:27. > :13:31.being recognised as such officially. Words alone cannot achieve parity of

:13:32. > :13:35.esteem, the government must start to act differently. What is necessary

:13:36. > :13:42.to transform mental health services for our young people? I want to

:13:43. > :13:46.return to the conclusions of the youth Select Committee report. The

:13:47. > :13:53.Royal College of Psychiatrists highlights three issues. Ond,

:13:54. > :13:57.increase funding for young people's mental health funding to gu`rantee

:13:58. > :14:01.the money will reach the ground for CAMHS. That is concern about the

:14:02. > :14:06.introduction of sustainabilhty and transformation plans across the NHS

:14:07. > :14:11.and resource implications. The Royal College of Psychiatrists suggest the

:14:12. > :14:18.introduction of ring fenced funding for CAMHS and reject plans which do

:14:19. > :14:23.children's mental health pl`ns in children's mental health pl`ns in

:14:24. > :14:29.their area. I hope ministers will commit to that today. Secondly,

:14:30. > :14:33.young people must be involvdd in the process of formulating policy to

:14:34. > :14:37.improve CAMHS. Research shows where young people have a clear voice in

:14:38. > :14:43.design, the end result refldcts a clear need of the patient. That

:14:44. > :14:46.government must improve mental health education in schools with the

:14:47. > :14:51.aim of ensuring young peopld leave schools with an understanding of

:14:52. > :14:58.mental health and how to help their own well-being. This recommdndation

:14:59. > :15:01.was made by the youth Select Committee and supported by the

:15:02. > :15:07.National Association of head teachers and other teaching unions,

:15:08. > :15:12.United Nations and many othdrs. While the government has introduced

:15:13. > :15:17.new plans for the curriculul, that is broad consensus across hdalth and

:15:18. > :15:20.education sectors that developing resilience, safeguarding yotng

:15:21. > :15:27.people, should not be left to chance. It should be a comptlsory

:15:28. > :15:31.part of the curriculum. I hope the government will reflect on the

:15:32. > :15:35.urgency of the situation and the consensus around the need for

:15:36. > :15:40.compulsory education and will make a commitment to introduce it. The

:15:41. > :15:43.Youth Select Committee report made many other practical

:15:44. > :15:49.recommendations, including regional commissioning, the developmdnt of

:15:50. > :15:53.health and support, the introduction of plans to support students through

:15:54. > :15:58.exam stress, I would welcomd an update from the Minister on the

:15:59. > :16:01.progress being made to deliver these excellent ideas. Finally, wd know

:16:02. > :16:05.one of the greatest barriers to delivering mental health support and

:16:06. > :16:09.services that our young people need has always been the stigma which

:16:10. > :16:13.surrounds mental health. I want to be a tribute to a brilliant piece of

:16:14. > :16:20.work recently published by the YMCA in partnership with the NHS, cold I

:16:21. > :16:24.am old, the research identifies the extent of the stigma of mental

:16:25. > :16:29.health, including three quarters of young people spoken to the leaving

:16:30. > :16:35.people with mental health problems are treated negatively. The project

:16:36. > :16:40.sought to address stigma directly by publishing a series of storhes about

:16:41. > :16:44.young people with their expdriences of mental health difficulty. It made

:16:45. > :16:50.for a very challenging readhng. I want to read a quote from the four

:16:51. > :16:57.words of the documents from corny comic aged 22. Having mental health

:16:58. > :17:05.difficulties is like being trapped inside 1000 invisible prisons, there

:17:06. > :17:07.are 1000 reasons as a young person being driven deeper into thd void.

:17:08. > :17:09.Not only isolated by the struggle is mentally but by that enveloped in a

:17:10. > :17:19.thick darkness, it is comprhsed of a thick darkness, it is comprhsed of a

:17:20. > :17:21.tangled web of myths, misunderstandings, this is

:17:22. > :17:26.misunderstanding. It is timd for them it is to be dispelled, the Web

:17:27. > :17:29.broken and the isolation to end It is time for us to be free to talk

:17:30. > :17:37.about our mental health difficulties or pulling so we get access to me

:17:38. > :17:42.need. Once conversation beghns, you break down misconceptions pdople

:17:43. > :17:47.hold. It is like being stood in the dark, untangling the web until the

:17:48. > :17:51.warmth of the Sun breaks through. The light reaches your eyes and you

:17:52. > :17:55.look around to say that you are not alone. When we talk about young

:17:56. > :18:01.talking about the well-being of our talking about the well-being of our

:18:02. > :18:04.precious children, their he`lth and happiness, the resilience of the

:18:05. > :18:08.next generation, the abilitx of young people to fulfil their

:18:09. > :18:13.potential and to be everythhng they can be. We are talking about the

:18:14. > :18:16.ways to stop more families from living with the heartbreak of the

:18:17. > :18:21.young person with mental ill-health and ways to stop more familhes from

:18:22. > :18:25.softening the devastation of our loss to suicide. There are few

:18:26. > :18:33.things more important than this and it is time the government got it

:18:34. > :18:40.right. I beg to move. Here here The question is as on the order paper.

:18:41. > :18:45.Thank you. The report brought to my attention by my local member of the

:18:46. > :18:48.youth Parliament who has bedn in the chamber for the youth Parli`ment

:18:49. > :18:53.debates and Lucy is in the public gallery to listen to the debate and

:18:54. > :19:00.has assisted me in formulathng my remarks today. As a result of

:19:01. > :19:03.contact with Lucy, I attenddd the Westminster Hall debate

:19:04. > :19:10.through administrative error I was through administrative error I was

:19:11. > :19:15.unable to be heard. I thank the honourable lady for bringing this to

:19:16. > :19:18.the chamber today. Before I go to the subject, I would thank the

:19:19. > :19:26.honourable lady and the backbench kit -- back bends business

:19:27. > :19:30.committee. As we all try to engage with young people more and lore it

:19:31. > :19:37.is important that the efforts of the youth Parliament get acknowledged

:19:38. > :19:40.and debated in here. As the former member of Lucy tells me, whdn they

:19:41. > :19:47.were looking for subjects for the youth Parliament, many times mental

:19:48. > :19:55.health is in the top 56 subjects that concern young people so it is

:19:56. > :20:00.important it is brought forward -- top five or six. The report is

:20:01. > :20:05.thorough. It makes several recommendations and conclushons as

:20:06. > :20:08.highlighted already. To get a better understanding of the issues facing

:20:09. > :20:14.young people in a modern agd that can lead to the mental health issues

:20:15. > :20:23.as out in the report. It is a long time since I was a young person

:20:24. > :20:28.Thank you. So I thought the best way to come to an understanding, the

:20:29. > :20:35.report actually says we shotld make use of the expertise of young people

:20:36. > :20:40.which is item 17 in the report so I decided to do this. I had a

:20:41. > :20:44.conversation with Lucy and `lso another 17-year-old young l`dy and

:20:45. > :20:50.ask them to tell me what thdir thoughts and experiences whdre as

:20:51. > :20:55.teenagers. And the pressures they face and the pressures for their

:20:56. > :21:00.young friends in this modern world. Both girls at A-level polithcs

:21:01. > :21:07.students. Lucy is from my constituency and Martha livds in

:21:08. > :21:08.Surrey. My remarks today ard very much based on the conversathons that

:21:09. > :21:14.we have had. Mental health hssues in we have had. Mental health hssues in

:21:15. > :21:19.any person of any age are often difficult to diagnose as has been

:21:20. > :21:25.highlighted. It is not like a broken leg you conceive. It is not as

:21:26. > :21:29.tangible. It can often be mhstaken for a bit of temporary emothonal

:21:30. > :21:36.upheaval or distress but in the young it can be put down to other

:21:37. > :21:44.things, pure teenage banks, raging hormones or just teenage moodiness.

:21:45. > :21:47.Consequently, these issues go unspotted and unnoticed and

:21:48. > :21:56.consequently untreated. By the time it is acknowledged and realhsed the

:21:57. > :22:03.problem has manifested so mtch it is harder to treat. Who should identify

:22:04. > :22:08.this programme -- this problem? It would be an adult, a parent,

:22:09. > :22:13.guardian or teacher. Becausd of that that is a generational gap. I'm sure

:22:14. > :22:20.heard the life of a teenager, you do heard the life of a teenager, you do

:22:21. > :22:24.not understand. But in this case, we actually do not understand `s

:22:25. > :22:29.adults. So what should we look for? How do that manifested itself? There

:22:30. > :22:37.are various symptoms which `re easy to miss. It could be anxietx,

:22:38. > :22:41.depression, eating disorders or even contemplation of suicide or maybe

:22:42. > :22:46.even self harm. Self harm c`n sometimes be seen as a cry for help

:22:47. > :22:54.or attention but more often it is a symptom of a much deeper problem.

:22:55. > :23:02.When can it? In days gone bx, pinch points for stress were usually exam

:23:03. > :23:05.time. Made for all levels or final exams but in a modern world there

:23:06. > :23:09.are so many pressures on yotng people which can bring about these

:23:10. > :23:14.problems. How are things different to when they were young? Wh`t are

:23:15. > :23:19.the extra factors and circulstances that we did not have to contend with

:23:20. > :23:25.but the modern-day young persons -- the young teenager has to? Hf we

:23:26. > :23:31.consider the question whethdr looking at the impact of social

:23:32. > :23:36.media, we would be dedicating our duty. Whether it be Facebook,

:23:37. > :23:43.Twitter, Snapchat or many more in this chamber we have not he`rd of. A

:23:44. > :23:46.few years ago these things were a figment of imagination, there were

:23:47. > :23:50.science-fiction in my day btt now they are part of everyday lhfe and

:23:51. > :23:54.that the modern teenager, they are the preferred method of

:23:55. > :24:00.communication. These technologies have much to commend them and I d

:24:01. > :24:08.think -- advantages to all of those, I am sure many of us to eat and have

:24:09. > :24:11.Facebook pages and websites. Many of us communicate via e-mail whth our

:24:12. > :24:15.constituents to make us mord accessible than ever and thhs is

:24:16. > :24:21.good. So is communication bdtween young people. The days, and I will

:24:22. > :24:28.betray my age, of sending notes to betray my age, of sending notes to

:24:29. > :24:34.the object of your affection in the classroom with SWT LK writtdn on the

:24:35. > :24:39.back of the envelope. Marth` and Katie -- Martha and Lucy did not

:24:40. > :24:43.know what this was. Those d`ys are long gone. Everything is done via

:24:44. > :24:49.social media. It is out in the open for everyone to see and it hs

:24:50. > :24:56.therefore ever. The letter hs read and is not reciprocated, thrown

:24:57. > :25:02.away. In social media it relain so ever. It brings with it pressures,

:25:03. > :25:08.relationships, appearance, fashion and style are all analysed hn the

:25:09. > :25:12.public career. Relationships, attitudes and opinions when she

:25:13. > :25:18.privately with friends are out for the world to see. It is seelingly

:25:19. > :25:24.solicits a further comment `nd responds and it grows on thd basis

:25:25. > :25:34.of that. Things like chat groups on WhatsApp, it is easy for verbal

:25:35. > :25:40.teasing to become sinister. We here increasingly stories of cybdr

:25:41. > :25:44.bullying. And the posting of revenge pictures. I am sure we have all

:25:45. > :25:51.received comments online whhch we have seen as upsetting. If xou are

:25:52. > :25:57.teenager, uncertain and vulnerable, lacking in confidence, such remarks

:25:58. > :26:01.can have a shattering effect on your self-confidence and mental state. We

:26:02. > :26:06.look at media in general, it seeks to prevent -- present all young

:26:07. > :26:11.people as perfectly formed human beings. Reality programmes placed

:26:12. > :26:15.pressure on everyone to be absolutely perfect. The slightest

:26:16. > :26:21.imperfection can become a m`jor issue. We here about body ilage and

:26:22. > :26:30.young people's attitude to ht, again the desire to be perfect -- to be

:26:31. > :26:35.perfect. Imperfection is ridiculed and this is amplified with social

:26:36. > :26:42.media. Likes and no one likds and comments can become very crtel,

:26:43. > :26:46.especially if you are teenager and are vulnerable. Again it can damage

:26:47. > :26:51.the self esteem and mental health of a young person.

:26:52. > :27:00.We look at the society, mobhle phones, clothes and computers.

:27:01. > :27:07.Anything less than the optilum is seen as a problem. And the pressure

:27:08. > :27:11.it puts on young people. I `m not saying if a person doesn't have the

:27:12. > :27:14.latest iPhone, it will lead to mental health problems, but if

:27:15. > :27:19.someone is vulnerable with low esteem, these are the things that

:27:20. > :27:24.can exploit those insecurithes to an extent they can be pushed into a

:27:25. > :27:28.territory which we are disctssing today. Madam Deputy Speaker, we need

:27:29. > :27:33.to remember all these presstres and I have only mentioned a few, all

:27:34. > :27:39.impact young people at the time when the minds, brains and characters are

:27:40. > :27:43.still growing and forming. @s we get older we form our minds and

:27:44. > :27:47.personalities, we developed our own resilience to the many of these

:27:48. > :27:54.outside pressures. I am grateful and I think he is making a perthnent

:27:55. > :27:58.case and is giving a very accurate analysis of the pressures on our

:27:59. > :28:04.teenagers. Doesn't he agree with me, it is important there is an

:28:05. > :28:08.integrated solution that involves education and NHS response, so

:28:09. > :28:12.schools can get in very early in terms of tackling some of the

:28:13. > :28:16.behaviours that lead to somd of these poor outcomes with mental

:28:17. > :28:21.health? He is right, and th`t is remarked in the report, in the

:28:22. > :28:24.conclusion about the school approach and it says when people leave

:28:25. > :28:28.school, they should be convdrsant with all the issues around lental

:28:29. > :28:33.health. The honourable lady also referred to that in her spedch. As

:28:34. > :28:38.we get older we develop our own resilience. In young people, we have

:28:39. > :28:41.a situation where that development isn't complete and that is where the

:28:42. > :28:47.schools should play a part hn helping to develop that reshlience.

:28:48. > :28:52.As we know, there is a stigla attached to mental health, `nd more

:28:53. > :29:00.so in the case of young people. They don't want to admit it for the fear

:29:01. > :29:04.of being labelled. Again, this also leads to a situation of potdntial, I

:29:05. > :29:09.have used the word denial, H'm not sure that is right, but it

:29:10. > :29:14.exacerbates the problem. Thdre is a lack of willingness and fear to say,

:29:15. > :29:18.I have a problem and I need help. There should mean no stigma attached

:29:19. > :29:21.to any young people admitting they are struggling and they havd certain

:29:22. > :29:26.issues they need to deal with. Neither should there be any barrier

:29:27. > :29:32.for parents to make a simil`r plea. There should be somewhere young

:29:33. > :29:35.person can go, a point wherd a young person can go without fear of

:29:36. > :29:40.ridicule or anything else, where they can go and ask for help. They

:29:41. > :29:45.should not be judged or labdls, either by their peers or society.

:29:46. > :29:50.Parents can be the strongest help and support for any young pdrson and

:29:51. > :29:57.we can look at family support units as well. We should be able to enable

:29:58. > :30:02.parents to play as fall apart as they can. I can envisage a situation

:30:03. > :30:07.where we have a person getthng help at the age of 15. When they turn 16,

:30:08. > :30:11.they are deemed as an adult and their parents are almost excluded

:30:12. > :30:17.are playing a full part in that because at 16 they are able to make

:30:18. > :30:20.their own decisions and the parent who is attentive and trying to help

:30:21. > :30:27.will be told, we cannot discuss it with you. We should look if there is

:30:28. > :30:36.a way around that. In concltsion, I would like to thank people for their

:30:37. > :30:41.help. They have given me an insight into the world of a modern,

:30:42. > :30:46.21st-century teenager. Things that impact on their lives, but did not

:30:47. > :30:51.impact on my life as a teen`ger It was an educational experience for me

:30:52. > :30:56.and I pay tribute for their candour and their honesty. As I havd already

:30:57. > :31:00.said, to talk about this thhng freely takes a lot and I pax tribute

:31:01. > :31:08.to them. Many of the remarks have come as a result of their

:31:09. > :31:11.contribution. I would say to the Minister, let us not, in anx way

:31:12. > :31:14.fall into the trap of dismissing mental health issues in the young

:31:15. > :31:19.Azmi growing pains. It is a serious matter. I know she understands, but

:31:20. > :31:24.to make the help is needed, not only does it need to be readily

:31:25. > :31:28.available, easily available, but available for as long as it is

:31:29. > :31:38.needed for each person according to their individual needs. I w`nt to

:31:39. > :31:41.congratulate my honourable friend, and the member from South

:31:42. > :31:48.Cambridgeshire for securing this debate. I also want to congratulate

:31:49. > :31:53.the clearly, very talented xouth select committee for produchng such

:31:54. > :31:57.an excellent report. It highlights the need for additional and better

:31:58. > :32:03.mental health services for xoung people. It is a job very well done.

:32:04. > :32:07.For too long, those suffering from mental ill-health have recehved far

:32:08. > :32:11.less care and attention frol those suffering from physical aillents.

:32:12. > :32:18.Even though mental ill-health accounts for 28% of the tot`l burden

:32:19. > :32:22.of disease, it gets just 13$ of the NHS budget. One in four adults are

:32:23. > :32:26.diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in their lives. But only

:32:27. > :32:32.a quarter of them who need lental health services have access to them.

:32:33. > :32:39.Serious medical conditions `re going untreated and that is the dhsparity

:32:40. > :32:44.of esteem between physical `nd mental health for everybody. The

:32:45. > :32:47.government, health professionals, patients, the voluntary sector,

:32:48. > :32:53.everybody speaks of wishing to end. There is such a long way to go. The

:32:54. > :32:56.consequences of our neglect of mental health services are

:32:57. > :33:00.devastating. Over a third of people with mild mental health problems and

:33:01. > :33:06.almost two thirds of people with more severe mental health problems

:33:07. > :33:16.are in fact unemployed. Resdarch shows the vast majority wishes to

:33:17. > :33:22.work. Indeed, congratulate the select committee for this rdport as

:33:23. > :33:25.well. My honourable friend hs making an important point about thd number

:33:26. > :33:32.of those unemployed with mental health issues. I have been struck by

:33:33. > :33:38.the message from schools, one school in my constituency said thex are

:33:39. > :33:41.faring 14% of their pupils for mental health support. Does she

:33:42. > :33:46.agree with me, the early intervention is vital and also to

:33:47. > :33:54.recognise the work of members of the youth Parliament for raising these

:33:55. > :33:58.important issues with others? I totally agree with my honourable

:33:59. > :34:04.friend. As I go through my speech, I hope I can give an example that will

:34:05. > :34:08.show intervention for a verx, very young child is important because of

:34:09. > :34:15.the impact on the rest of the family. In early intervention can do

:34:16. > :34:19.a lot to mitigate against events and other difficulties occurring in the

:34:20. > :34:26.family with other family melbers. Unfortunately, tragically and

:34:27. > :34:31.outrageously, young person's mental health services receives less

:34:32. > :34:37.attention than adult servicds. Consequently, it has been c`lled the

:34:38. > :34:41.Cinderella of Cinderella services. In November 2014, the Health Select

:34:42. > :34:45.Committee found there were serious and deeply ingrained problels with

:34:46. > :34:50.the commissioning and provision of services for young people's mental

:34:51. > :34:54.health. Many providers reported increased waiting times and

:34:55. > :34:59.increased referral thresholds for specialist services, where patients

:35:00. > :35:03.would have to show severe sxmptoms to receive treatment, than they

:35:04. > :35:06.would have done in the past. GPs reported feeling ill equippdd and

:35:07. > :35:12.lacking in confidence when dealing with young people's mental health

:35:13. > :35:15.issues. The select committed found early intervention programmds were

:35:16. > :35:21.suffering from insecure or short-term funding or being cut

:35:22. > :35:27.altogether. There really is no excuse for this failing. People with

:35:28. > :35:32.lifetime mental health problems experienced symptoms by the age of

:35:33. > :35:39.14. And about 75% before thd age of 18. Catching these problems early

:35:40. > :35:44.could well lessen the severhty of adult problems, possibly saving the

:35:45. > :35:48.NHS and money in the long tdrm. I would suggest simply, more

:35:49. > :35:53.importantly, it will reduce unnecessary suffering and enable

:35:54. > :35:58.people to live better lives. I want to be fair to the governments, they

:35:59. > :36:03.have recognised there is a problem. They set up their children `nd young

:36:04. > :36:08.people's mental health and well-being task force in 2004. And

:36:09. > :36:14.that task force came back whth a number of recommendations in their

:36:15. > :36:18.2015 future in mind report. The task force found a number of problems

:36:19. > :36:22.with our services and the mdmber for North Norfolk, who was then the

:36:23. > :36:26.responsible minister said, there needed to be a fundamental shift in

:36:27. > :36:31.culture, with a much greater focus on prevention and early

:36:32. > :36:35.intervention. The task forcd rightly recognise, one of the challdnges

:36:36. > :36:41.facing young people was unsurprisingly funding. I w`s

:36:42. > :36:46.pleased the government responded by announcing an additional ?1.4

:36:47. > :36:52.billion of transitional funding for youth mental health services.

:36:53. > :36:58.However, this additional money needs to be considered in the context of

:36:59. > :37:02.the less encouraging overall picture of mental health services ftnding.

:37:03. > :37:06.NHS England's planning guid`nce states all CCG is a must increase

:37:07. > :37:11.their spend on mental health services by at least as much as

:37:12. > :37:16.their overall budget increase. But there have been warnings. Including

:37:17. > :37:21.from the mental health trusts that mental health funding is not

:37:22. > :37:25.properly ring fenced. And this target is being missed. Agahn, to

:37:26. > :37:32.follow in the steps of my honourable friend from Dulwich and West

:37:33. > :37:43.Norfolk, we know a series of requests by the member for Liverpool

:37:44. > :37:52.way victory has shown us ovdr half of CGCs will spend more of their

:37:53. > :37:57.budget in 2016, 2017 which demonstrates what the government has

:37:58. > :38:04.tried to do has failed. Thehr target is being missed. I will indded. The

:38:05. > :38:08.honourable lady is making some important points and she referred to

:38:09. > :38:15.the tax force future in mind report. One of the startling figures was

:38:16. > :38:21.between 25 and 35% of young people with diagnosable mental health

:38:22. > :38:26.problems access support. Dods this underline the need for bettdr

:38:27. > :38:34.training for teachers and GPs for early detection as well as darly

:38:35. > :38:37.intervention? We need early detection and also we need darly

:38:38. > :38:42.intervention but we need solebody to refer people to. There doesn't seem

:38:43. > :38:49.to be the funding at any pohnt in that journey for young people who

:38:50. > :38:53.are needing help, whether it is awareness, intervention or services.

:38:54. > :39:00.But Madam Deputy Speaker, I went looking into the good work done by

:39:01. > :39:05.my the London Borough of Newham which even in these difficult times

:39:06. > :39:11.is increasing its mental he`lth spend in absolute and in relative

:39:12. > :39:15.terms. And where children's mental health services have receivdd an

:39:16. > :39:19.outstanding report from the care and quality commission. I wanted to see

:39:20. > :39:25.how we can improve young people s mental health provision and I wanted

:39:26. > :39:28.to learn what challenges and outstanding local provider still

:39:29. > :39:35.faces in their fight for better services. Professionals in new

:39:36. > :39:39.recognise a good young people's mental health service is not just

:39:40. > :39:44.about helping those who havd already developed severe and serious

:39:45. > :39:47.conditions. But it is also `bout providing early intervention and

:39:48. > :39:58.preventative programmes so problems can be dealt with at source. Would

:39:59. > :40:02.she also agree it is very ilportant the services look at the nedds of

:40:03. > :40:06.parents, I was struck by a recent case where the parents just didn't

:40:07. > :40:12.understand where the issues had come from and couldn't help and hdentify

:40:13. > :40:18.what they were. They felt unable to identify how best to help their

:40:19. > :40:23.child. She is right, the falily can often be key to both the support the

:40:24. > :40:26.young person needs, but also perhaps needs intervention itself in order

:40:27. > :40:34.to provide the support the whole family needs in order to live

:40:35. > :40:39.mentally healthily into day's.. Today. To go on to that, thd

:40:40. > :40:46.National Lottery funded programme in new is called the head start scheme

:40:47. > :40:51.and it helps ten to 16-year,olds who are particularly in schools. It

:40:52. > :40:57.trains teachers in secondarx schools to provide programmes which build

:40:58. > :41:00.resilience amongst pupils. Ht provides mentoring schemes directly

:41:01. > :41:10.to children so they can learn from each other. It is a peer to peer

:41:11. > :41:16.learning scheme. In addition, it works directly with parents to show

:41:17. > :41:18.them how they can help work through mental health issues with their

:41:19. > :41:24.children and in their familx circumstances. Unfortunatelx, the

:41:25. > :41:31.scheme is reliant upon lottdry money and therefore it is not cord funded,

:41:32. > :41:35.which means its future as a core service simply cannot be gu`ranteed

:41:36. > :41:42.and in these circumstances, sometimes it is difficult to get the

:41:43. > :41:46.proof we need in order to bd able to persuade funders and persuade the

:41:47. > :41:51.government that this core ftnding should continue. Because often it

:41:52. > :42:00.over a small timescale, it's not big enough to be persuasive.

:42:01. > :42:08.The and is in and more integrated because they know makes a dhfference

:42:09. > :42:14.to the lives of people. Takd Emma and her baby brother aged jtst seven

:42:15. > :42:18.weeks. They were referred bx a perinatal psychiatrist who was

:42:19. > :42:24.seeing their mother for help with chronic mental ill health. Dmma was

:42:25. > :42:31.still frequently breast-fed and showed an insecure attachment to her

:42:32. > :42:36.mother. She was anxious -- who's anxious and controlling beh`viour

:42:37. > :42:40.was making it difficult for her mother to wean hard and attdnd to

:42:41. > :42:47.the needs of her new baby who was being bottle fed. Emma's spdech was

:42:48. > :42:52.also delayed. Following assdssment the family were offered

:42:53. > :42:57.psychotherapy to allow them to reflect on the needs of both people

:42:58. > :43:03.which allowed Emma to becomd independent of her mum. At the same

:43:04. > :43:08.time the baby was able to gdt more attention from his mum. I al pleased

:43:09. > :43:12.to tell you that following this intervention, Emma is now more

:43:13. > :43:19.confident, her speech is developing and she sleeps in her own room and

:43:20. > :43:22.has settled well into nursery. Our physical and mental health this is

:43:23. > :43:30.work in tandem to improve your lives. Jane was a 17-year-old who

:43:31. > :43:38.had been arrested and chargdd with possession of a weapon and `s C He

:43:39. > :43:43.had a history of violence and non-engagement. During the course of

:43:44. > :43:49.his referral to a youth offdnding team, they became concerned about

:43:50. > :43:52.his mental health and referred him directly to the mental health

:43:53. > :43:59.specialist foreign argent examination. During the assdssment,

:44:00. > :44:07.he was having suicidal thoughts He was anxious and showed severe

:44:08. > :44:11.symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and ADHD. The team nurse

:44:12. > :44:16.arranged for him to have urgent psychiatric treatment and hd was

:44:17. > :44:22.started on medication for hhs anxiety and on a course of

:44:23. > :44:30.collective behaviour therapx for his ADHD. He was assessed for ADHD in

:44:31. > :44:34.the long term once abate. I am pleased to report that he h`s not

:44:35. > :44:40.offended since he has engagdd with the mental health team offered

:44:41. > :44:44.through the young offenders team. It just shows that integrated services

:44:45. > :44:48.are better for individuals `nd better for the whole communhty.

:44:49. > :44:55.These are just a few of the stories that I have been told but I think

:44:56. > :44:59.they are enormous challenges at providing community-based and

:45:00. > :45:04.integrated services. I am told that new would love to run services

:45:05. > :45:09.directly out of GP practices but cannot do at the moment bec`use they

:45:10. > :45:12.do not have resources. It would not be efficient currently becatse staff

:45:13. > :45:18.would spend as much time tr`velling backwards and forwards to GP

:45:19. > :45:21.practices as they would helping patients. There is an

:45:22. > :45:28.acknowledgement between health prevention -- professionals that

:45:29. > :45:31.early intervention often increases workload in the short-term.

:45:32. > :45:34.Professionals in Newham are worried that they will not be able to

:45:35. > :45:40.deliver the clinical hours necessary to more patients. Over 50% of

:45:41. > :45:45.patients in Newham already have to wait over five weeks before seeing a

:45:46. > :45:50.specialist, a number of which will only go up when further casds are

:45:51. > :45:56.uncovered without additional resources. Adam Deputy Speaker,

:45:57. > :46:00.there are well integrated community-based mental health this

:46:01. > :46:05.is delivered in Newham and `cross the country but to preserve and

:46:06. > :46:12.expand these programmes, we need to be aware that they need stable and

:46:13. > :46:14.long-term funding. To ensurd that money designed for mental hdalth was

:46:15. > :46:21.finds its way to the front line would be a good way to start. Thank

:46:22. > :46:26.you. Thank you. Can I declare my entry into the register of lembers

:46:27. > :46:33.interests. I apologise for lissing a few minutes of the honourable lady's

:46:34. > :46:39.speech. It had been brought forward. Can I say I am delighted we are

:46:40. > :46:44.having this debate for two lain reasons, reasons which you will all

:46:45. > :46:49.share I am sure. Firstly because this is a really important subject.

:46:50. > :46:53.and it is a subject which it is and it is a subject which it is

:46:54. > :47:00.right and proper and beneficial that this House and honourable mdmbers

:47:01. > :47:02.are talking about openly. Jtst as we have heard, young people ard

:47:03. > :47:08.prepared much more now than they were before to come forward with

:47:09. > :47:13.their own stories about problems and issues and hopefully find solutions.

:47:14. > :47:18.Secondly, I am delighted to be part of this debate because it is part of

:47:19. > :47:25.the United Kingdom Youth Parliament work. It is really signific`nt that

:47:26. > :47:30.we are giving up mainstream Parliamentary time in the m`in

:47:31. > :47:38.chamber of the House of Comlons to discuss a report by the youth Select

:47:39. > :47:42.Committee. It is a shame we have to do it in backbench business time

:47:43. > :47:46.rather than in government thme, I pay tribute to the honourable lady

:47:47. > :47:53.for securing this debate and giving an excellent start to it. This will

:47:54. > :47:58.be a high-quality debate. I and you I think shared the view that the

:47:59. > :48:03.Youth Select Committee has taken on such a status and stature now,

:48:04. > :48:06.producing reports of such hhgh quality and well researched that not

:48:07. > :48:11.only should the government produced a formal response to them, which

:48:12. > :48:13.has, but the government shotld give up government time in this chamber

:48:14. > :48:19.on an annual basis, just once a year on an annual basis, just once a year

:48:20. > :48:24.formally to debate the work of Youth Select Committee. That is an idea I

:48:25. > :48:28.have put forward for some thme and I have put forward for some thme and I

:48:29. > :48:33.hope the whips and government managers are listening. I al a big

:48:34. > :48:38.supporter of Youth Select Committee. It was founded in my time in

:48:39. > :48:44.Parliament, the annual Parlhamentary sittings which I try to attdnd are

:48:45. > :48:48.always a great spectacle to come to. It is always exceedingly frtstrating

:48:49. > :48:54.on the Monday and the Speakdr will on the Monday and the Speakdr will

:48:55. > :49:00.inevitably say, why do you not believe as well as Youth Select

:49:01. > :49:06.Committee members who were xou on Friday, very smart, very concise,

:49:07. > :49:12.very well-behaved and do not heckle. It is a shame the media covdrage of

:49:13. > :49:18.that is not greater than it is. It is a great event and organisation

:49:19. > :49:26.and it is great we are disctssing their work today. We have produced

:49:27. > :49:29.positive youth document and it was all about promoting positivd youth

:49:30. > :49:33.engagement. One thing I tre`sure having done was helping the

:49:34. > :49:35.transition from Youth Select transition from Youth Select

:49:36. > :49:39.Committee across to the youth council to secure its futurd. I pay

:49:40. > :49:43.tribute to all the work which has happened over the last few xears.

:49:44. > :49:49.They are mainstream part of the youth voice in this country and in

:49:50. > :49:52.this chamber. I was the first witness ever to be called in front

:49:53. > :49:57.of Youth Select Committee. Ht was an of Youth Select Committee. Ht was an

:49:58. > :50:02.awesome and intimidating experience. I was called for their first report

:50:03. > :50:08.back in 2012 along with the Transport Minister, Norman Baker. We

:50:09. > :50:15.rather to nonchalantly rockdd up in front of this group of young people

:50:16. > :50:20.in the Boothroyd room. They were exceedingly well rehearsed. They

:50:21. > :50:28.were exceedingly well researched and not taking any BS from anybody. I in

:50:29. > :50:33.front of many select committees on many occasions and that was the most

:50:34. > :50:39.intimidating experience I ever had as a minister in front of a Select

:50:40. > :50:42.Committee and it was fantastic. That is why their fourth report

:50:43. > :50:49.absolutely needs to be taken seriously, along with their work.

:50:50. > :50:51.This report is difficult to distinguish from the House of

:50:52. > :50:56.Commons Select Committee report that many of us are involved with. I want

:50:57. > :51:01.to congratulate the team for the work they did on it. They dhd

:51:02. > :51:09.everything they should have done, visits to experts, visits to

:51:10. > :51:15.sufferers of mental illness, expert witnesses and they had no fdwer than

:51:16. > :51:19.148 submissions. If only all other select committees had as many well

:51:20. > :51:26.informed and well researched submissions as they did. Also, they

:51:27. > :51:34.have a substantial democrathc endorsement. In 2014, when they were

:51:35. > :51:38.deciding for the subject of the Youth Select Committee report, then

:51:39. > :51:44.make your mark ballot which includes the debate in this House and setting

:51:45. > :51:48.their priorities, no fewer than 875,000 young people from up and

:51:49. > :51:54.down the country actually bothered to turn out and vote. More than

:51:55. > :52:00.90,000 voted for the subject of mental health was the switch is why

:52:01. > :52:08.we are hear to debate this report. It was debated in this chamber, that

:52:09. > :52:14.is a huge democratic mandatd. I host an event once a year in the House of

:52:15. > :52:20.Commons to present democracx reports for schools in West Sussex,

:52:21. > :52:24.including my constituency schools which have achieved high turnovers

:52:25. > :52:30.in elections they hold everx February and each year the turnout

:52:31. > :52:39.gets higher. A bigger room has to be put to accommodate more. Thdy got a

:52:40. > :52:45.100% turnout from all their pupils turning out to vote for thehr

:52:46. > :52:52.members which is fantastic. So this is a chunky piece of evidence that

:52:53. > :52:57.needs to be appreciated and looked at and importantly, acted upon so I

:52:58. > :53:02.am delighted we are giving time to it today. I am pleased also the

:53:03. > :53:13.government produced a formal response to it, jointly by the

:53:14. > :53:17.ministers at the Department of Health and the Member for E`st

:53:18. > :53:22.Surrey representing the education department. Neither of thosd

:53:23. > :53:26.ministers are apparently in that place and I welcome my honotrable

:53:27. > :53:32.friend from Oxfordshire to that you position and I'm sure she whll pick

:53:33. > :53:36.up the ropes of this very qtickly. We do need consistency in approach

:53:37. > :53:41.dealing with mental health `nd we need a much better joined up

:53:42. > :53:47.approach, not just between dducation and health but many other aspects as

:53:48. > :53:51.well. Madame Deputy Speaker, the subject is very important to young

:53:52. > :53:54.people. This report is very important to young people and should

:53:55. > :54:00.therefore be important to this House and to the work of the government

:54:01. > :54:07.and I think many useful lessons must be learned from it. I am also very

:54:08. > :54:12.frustrated, I speak as someone who has been in this House for 20 years,

:54:13. > :54:17.I have been a shadow ministdr for mental health and for young people

:54:18. > :54:27.for nine years, I currently cheer the all-party group for children and

:54:28. > :54:32.a group which is all about perinatal and mental health. I have sden

:54:33. > :54:38.mental health it is common goal I have seen the 2011 strategy with an

:54:39. > :54:47.important statement about p`rity of esteem which we need to achheve I

:54:48. > :54:51.saw the 2014, closing the g`p report with specific commitments to improve

:54:52. > :54:55.the mental health care for children and young people. I saw the rolling

:54:56. > :55:03.out talking therapies progr`mme in March 20 15. We had the mental

:55:04. > :55:08.health task force, I saw lots of good work by the former minhster,

:55:09. > :55:12.the Member for North East Bedfordshire in the health

:55:13. > :55:18.Department. In particular in February this year the ment`l health

:55:19. > :55:23.task force produced a report on mental health and locks of talk

:55:24. > :55:27.about the importance of mental health and necessity to achheve

:55:28. > :55:34.parity of esteem. As the honourable lady from West Ham said there is a

:55:35. > :55:40.big disparity instead of thd parity which we must achieve. You only are

:55:41. > :55:43.again. We are still hear and record numbers of children and young people

:55:44. > :55:54.are still hear with mental health problems. I will give way. Does he

:55:55. > :55:58.agree with me that the real problem is you can have reports on task

:55:59. > :56:05.forces and recommendations but the real issue is that mental hdalth is

:56:06. > :56:11.seen as a health Department issue whereas what we need is complete

:56:12. > :56:15.cross government approach to this so that mental health and ment`l

:56:16. > :56:23.well-being is on every single piece of policy development? He is right.

:56:24. > :56:31.He is pre-empting something I'll -- a point I wish to make. As linisters

:56:32. > :56:35.and former ministers, there is the complete illusion that is the three

:56:36. > :56:41.Es joined up government. Johned up government does not happen hn

:56:42. > :56:46.practice. You are cocaine -, cocooned in a department as a

:56:47. > :56:56.minister. The dialogue you tsed to have, this huge wall comes between

:56:57. > :57:00.you to try and get inter departmental action becomes really

:57:01. > :57:06.frustrating. I set up the youth action group which consists of 10

:57:07. > :57:11.and six major children's ch`rities and six major children's ch`rities

:57:12. > :57:15.cheered by the Princess first and Barnardo's and they came to us with

:57:16. > :57:20.problems affecting young people often complex problems.

:57:21. > :57:31.One was to do with housing benefit and education for children hn care.

:57:32. > :57:34.It involved benefits which was the remit of the Department for Work and

:57:35. > :57:39.Pensions and it involve children in care which was the remit of the

:57:40. > :57:44.Department for Education. This was this vicious circle. But thd

:57:45. > :57:49.committee was due to do, and it hasn't met for 15 months or so, we

:57:50. > :57:52.had ministers and invariablx there will be six ministers, not just

:57:53. > :57:57.civil servants from those departments with their officials. We

:57:58. > :58:04.would get the relevant ministers to go away and solve problem. This

:58:05. > :58:09.falls into that category whdre it is not just the remit of health or

:58:10. > :58:14.education because there are so many implications and knock-on effects.

:58:15. > :58:20.He is absolutely right the structure of government needs to be so much

:58:21. > :58:24.better. That's why we need task force is that genuinely cut across

:58:25. > :58:29.government departments. But they can only flourish, in my experidnce if

:58:30. > :58:37.they have the direct engagelent of ministers at the top as well. One

:58:38. > :58:42.welcome initiative in his own party was the appointment of a Cabinet

:58:43. > :58:47.level Minister for mental hdalth. I think it has gone by the waxside,

:58:48. > :58:55.but the principle was right to try and join up those departments at the

:58:56. > :59:00.top table, which is important. If I could remind him, I am the Shadow

:59:01. > :59:05.Cabinet minister for mental health, so it hasn't gone away from this

:59:06. > :59:08.side of the House. I am delhghted and I didn't mean to underestimate

:59:09. > :59:13.the contribution of the honourable lady. When it was the honourable

:59:14. > :59:18.member for Liverpool way victory, she sat at the Cabinet tabld on

:59:19. > :59:24.this. My hope that is still the case and I would like to see my own party

:59:25. > :59:31.in government replicate that because it is such an important isste.

:59:32. > :59:35.Despite all of that, as has been described, mental health relains a

:59:36. > :59:40.syndrome of service of the National Health Service and as the rdport

:59:41. > :59:46.itself describes it, CAMS and the mental health of children and young

:59:47. > :59:52.people remains the Cinderella of the Cinderella service. This issue over

:59:53. > :59:56.funding is important, because for all of those years where mental

:59:57. > :00:01.health was a static or declhning portion of the overall national

:00:02. > :00:05.health service budget. And we can have arguments about how much the

:00:06. > :00:11.NHS budget has gone up or kdpt up with inflation, but all the time the

:00:12. > :00:16.share of funding in mental health declines, that is a very cldar

:00:17. > :00:20.message it is a second priority within the National Health Service.

:00:21. > :00:25.And therein lies part of thd problem. We should treat it, and we

:00:26. > :00:32.are making progress, I don't want to be too negative, as they do in other

:00:33. > :00:39.countries. If you go into a hospital in Copenhagen Denmark, you go into

:00:40. > :00:43.the main hospital and if yot have a problem with diabetes, you turn

:00:44. > :00:48.left, if you have a mental health problem you turn right. Thex treated

:00:49. > :00:53.with the same basis and that is how we need to treat it here. There have

:00:54. > :00:58.been many great intentions by many ministers, but in practice `t the

:00:59. > :01:02.sharp end on the ground, whdre our young constituents experience in

:01:03. > :01:06.trying to access the mental health support they desperately nedd, it is

:01:07. > :01:12.not happening. It is certainly not happening in a uniform way `cross

:01:13. > :01:18.the whole country. As a restlt, one in four people in this country at

:01:19. > :01:22.least are still suffering from a mental health problem. I have a

:01:23. > :01:28.particular interest in currdnt Nato mental health and declare an

:01:29. > :01:39.interest, I chaired the grotp for 1001 days. We now have seven clinics

:01:40. > :01:50.across the country providing support to parents with newborn babhes.

:01:51. > :01:54.About half of all cases of perinatal depression and anxiety go

:01:55. > :01:59.undetected. Those which are detected failed to receive evidence ,based

:02:00. > :02:04.forms of treatment. Really alarmingly, certainly at thd time of

:02:05. > :02:09.the report the all-party group produced last year called btilding

:02:10. > :02:17.Great Britons, just 3% of clinical commissioning groups in England have

:02:18. > :02:27.a strategy for perinatal mental health services. It is a cost to the

:02:28. > :02:33.NHS, a cost the NHS can dearly ill afford, and it is ?8.1 billhon for

:02:34. > :02:37.each one year cohort of births in the United Kingdom, equivaldnt to

:02:38. > :02:44.almost ?10,000 for every single berth in this country. Why hs this

:02:45. > :02:47.relevant to young people? Ndarly three quarters of this cost relates

:02:48. > :02:55.to the adverse impacts on the child rather than the mother. Followers of

:02:56. > :02:59.attachment will understand `nd appreciate the strong links between

:03:00. > :03:03.achieving a strong attachment between the child and the primary

:03:04. > :03:08.carer and good nurturing from the earlier stages. And as we ptt it in

:03:09. > :03:15.the report, from conception to gauge two when the synapses in thd brain

:03:16. > :03:18.are developing at 40,000 a second and the brain, character and

:03:19. > :03:23.development is absolutely bding formed. The earliest experidnces

:03:24. > :03:29.shape the baby's brain development and have a lifelong impact on the

:03:30. > :03:33.baby's emotional health. Thd research shows a direct link with

:03:34. > :03:38.what happens to other during the perinatal period and a child in

:03:39. > :03:44.later life. If you have a tdenager 15 or 16 suffering from somd form of

:03:45. > :03:49.depression, there is somethhng like a 90% chance that his or her mother

:03:50. > :03:55.suffered from perinatal depression. The link is that clear. It hs

:03:56. > :03:59.absolutely false economy not to be helping out with mum at the early

:04:00. > :04:05.age and dad, who plays a crtcial role in all of this as well. Getting

:04:06. > :04:11.it right with parents and children early is crucial to the good mental

:04:12. > :04:15.health of so many children `nd young people. Madam Deputy Speaker, this

:04:16. > :04:18.is not rocket science, technically it is neuroscience, but frankly we

:04:19. > :04:24.should be getting it better sooner than we are. Other factors have been

:04:25. > :04:28.flagged up in this report. Ly honourable friend for High Peak in

:04:29. > :04:33.particular went into many of these about the peer group pressure is on

:04:34. > :04:38.our children and young people, as they... I have no children `ny more,

:04:39. > :04:41.my youngest is over the age of 8, but we have been through many

:04:42. > :04:47.teenage years, so I have sedn it first hand. You can't go out in the

:04:48. > :04:51.morning without the latest hPhone, without checking your Facebook,

:04:52. > :04:56.without tweeting what you are having for breakfast and putting a

:04:57. > :05:02.photograph up of what you are having for breakfast. And that is just

:05:03. > :05:10.after you have got up. The stresses to succeed in school and thd of

:05:11. > :05:17.exams and testing are not conducive to the best of mental health unless

:05:18. > :05:20.some support is there to help young people through all sorts of

:05:21. > :05:30.challenges, which we never had in my day. And I guess it is even earlier.

:05:31. > :05:35.Social media is a huge infltence on young people that was just not

:05:36. > :05:36.around in our day, or your day Madam Deputy Speaker, either, I h`zard to

:05:37. > :05:55.guess. I thank him for giving way. He makes, as always, import`nt

:05:56. > :06:00.observations in these debatds. He and I were both at school together

:06:01. > :06:04.and at time when children ldft school, they left their problems

:06:05. > :06:08.behind. If they had bullying going on or anything like that. Btt one of

:06:09. > :06:12.the challenges now is, any problems like that go the child beyond the

:06:13. > :06:17.school gates to the home and also through the summer holiday hf they

:06:18. > :06:22.are not careful. Does he agree there are further steps that should be

:06:23. > :06:25.taken by a digital service providers to provide apps and protecthons to

:06:26. > :06:32.help children in those diffhcult circumstances? I do agree and

:06:33. > :06:37.believe it or not, my honourable friend is older than me and was in

:06:38. > :06:40.the year above me at our school Although he has aged rather better

:06:41. > :06:44.than me, he hasn't been in this House quite as long as I have! But

:06:45. > :06:50.he's absolutely right the environment of the dynamics where

:06:51. > :06:56.the stresses and strains were in those days and who you commtnicate

:06:57. > :07:02.with as well. I had an example recently of where one of my

:07:03. > :07:07.daughters, I won't name which one, basically put in her request for

:07:08. > :07:13.supper by text message and she was in her bedroom to my wife and I in

:07:14. > :07:26.the kitchen! So it is extraordinary and ironic... Software is off,

:07:27. > :07:33.basically. Irony is, in a d`y where communicating has never been easier

:07:34. > :07:37.by e-mail, by social media, communications between human beings

:07:38. > :07:43.face-to-face have never been more rare and promote. And therehn lies

:07:44. > :07:46.part of the problem. And particularly communications between

:07:47. > :07:51.children and their parents do not come as readily. And the parents, as

:07:52. > :07:56.much as the children are at fault. Why we cannot talk frankly `bout the

:07:57. > :08:02.very real pressures and str`ins and stresses on our children. It may be

:08:03. > :08:07.to do with grooming, it may be to do with sex matters, or drugs. But in

:08:08. > :08:11.his day and my day perhaps, we did talk to our parents more or perhaps

:08:12. > :08:18.other family members around us. I want to pick up a few points in the

:08:19. > :08:21.report and I know other members want to speak. We have got to a position

:08:22. > :08:27.where one in ten school-age children will have some form of ment`l

:08:28. > :08:32.disorder. That is getting younger, 340,000, five to ten-year-olds have

:08:33. > :08:37.some form of mental disorder. If it is not detected early and acted

:08:38. > :08:45.upon, it just festers and so often gets worse. And too often, the only

:08:46. > :08:51.immediate response, if you do access a clinician, is the chemical cosh of

:08:52. > :08:55.drugs, which in too many cases are not appropriate for younger

:08:56. > :08:59.children, as we are increashngly finding. Talking therapies `nd

:09:00. > :09:03.others would be more appropriate at the earliest age, but when xou are

:09:04. > :09:08.having to wait weeks and months for them, it is whether you wait longer

:09:09. > :09:11.for the most appropriate thdrapy or you are given some form of

:09:12. > :09:17.antidepressant drug in the short term. There is an issue which is

:09:18. > :09:22.flagged up in the report about the transition from childhood to

:09:23. > :09:26.adulthood. Nothing changes physically and mentally to xou when

:09:27. > :09:31.you receive your 18th birthday card from your member of Parliamdnt on

:09:32. > :09:36.your 18th birthday, for exalple The last thing you need if you `re going

:09:37. > :09:39.to stresses and mental illndss as an 18-year-old is have a different

:09:40. > :09:43.process and system that has to do with you because you have stddenly

:09:44. > :09:48.become an adult and your condition has not changed. There is a

:09:49. > :09:53.particular issue of children in care, where they have been leaving

:09:54. > :10:01.care at the age of 16, forttnately now the new scheme that has been

:10:02. > :10:04.brought in, gives a longer lead in time. Every child is differdnt and

:10:05. > :10:09.children will be more resilhent to go into the big wide world than at

:10:10. > :10:15.different ages. There is sole good examples in the report about the

:10:16. > :10:21.best transition and practicd and Southampton hospital has an zero to

:10:22. > :10:25.25 age range. It is a schemd called ready, steady go and every person is

:10:26. > :10:31.treated differently and not everybody's go age will be the same.

:10:32. > :10:35.Can I touch on a few things mentioned in the report. Thd

:10:36. > :10:43.recommendations made around training for GPs. It is right certainly for

:10:44. > :10:51.younger children, that GPs will be the first port of call with clinical

:10:52. > :10:56.services. I think the trainhng of GPs dealing with younger people s

:10:57. > :11:04.mental health problems in p`rticular are not good. I think a young person

:11:05. > :11:09.who needs a lot of confidence to go along to see a GP with a parent or

:11:10. > :11:15.whoever, there needs to be ` clear understanding on how to get the best

:11:16. > :11:19.out of that child. So I think we need better guidance and as the

:11:20. > :11:21.honourable lady mentioned e`rlier, young people should be in on the

:11:22. > :11:38.genesis of the guidance as well The second recommendation is around

:11:39. > :11:43.what happens in schools. Thd Association of head teachers was

:11:44. > :11:48.quoted saying when children do not meet the thresholds, it is often

:11:49. > :11:55.schools who become responsible and are often ill-equipped to do that.

:11:56. > :12:01.-- when appearance. We are talking about three in a class size of 0

:12:02. > :12:04.who will suffer from some mdntal health problem and as the chief

:12:05. > :12:10.medical officer herself says, three quarters of the moles set -, will

:12:11. > :12:17.receive no treatment at all, that has an impact on the child `nd the

:12:18. > :12:22.rest of the class. We need better training of teachers to better

:12:23. > :12:27.identify those signs pointing to a mental illness, better awardness of

:12:28. > :12:31.when they can signpost to gdt the treatment required and also to be

:12:32. > :12:41.able to talk about it gener`lly in class. We can argue about whether it

:12:42. > :12:45.should be a compulsory subjdct, whether it should be a form`l part

:12:46. > :12:50.of the curriculum but it nedds to be done in an environment wherd young

:12:51. > :12:54.people feel engaged and it hs not just another lesson but somdthing

:12:55. > :13:04.they feel free to talk about openly and absorbed and learn from. Of

:13:05. > :13:10.course. I thank him for givhng way. The proposal that mental he`lth

:13:11. > :13:14.education should become compulsory is simply that its presence on the

:13:15. > :13:18.curriculum is too important to leave to chance. I agree with him it needs

:13:19. > :13:23.to be undertaken in practicd in a way which is engaging and does the

:13:24. > :13:26.job and is therefore effecthve at educating young people but would he

:13:27. > :13:31.agree that it should not be left to chance as to whether it happens at

:13:32. > :13:39.all? She and I had the same objectives I am sure. I am `lways

:13:40. > :13:43.sceptical about the solution for something being to make it `

:13:44. > :13:54.compulsory part of the currhculum. The reasons I mentioned earlier

:13:55. > :14:00.some of the best educational work I have seen is from outside youth

:14:01. > :14:05.workers who can empathise whth young people and talk to them in ` way

:14:06. > :14:10.they will appreciate and respect and learn from. Making it anothdr

:14:11. > :14:17.subject taught by a geography teacher who has a free period on a

:14:18. > :14:21.Thursday afternoon that terl, therein lies some problems so what

:14:22. > :14:29.we need to have... I will ghve Win a moment. We need to have mord schools

:14:30. > :14:35.automatically seeking to and wanting to be closeted in the children's

:14:36. > :14:39.best interests to have well,informed mental health education in ` form

:14:40. > :14:45.appropriate to engage those children in that school. I do not thhnk our

:14:46. > :14:50.objectives and ends are different, we can debate about how best to

:14:51. > :15:00.achieve them. I will give w`y. Thank you. He makes a good point `bout

:15:01. > :15:06.having appropriately trained specialists delivering ment`l health

:15:07. > :15:10.education to young people btt he suggests that they are spechalists

:15:11. > :15:19.and that they are done by youth services. The problem is th`t youth

:15:20. > :15:24.services are being cut as they are not statutory services of local

:15:25. > :15:32.authorities and many schools who have been providing and bringing in

:15:33. > :15:37.specialist support by experts, to support young people and te`chers,

:15:38. > :15:42.they are being cut as head teachers are having to cut back servhces as

:15:43. > :15:44.they deal with the Budget ctts they have to face. I hear what she is

:15:45. > :15:53.saying and that is a subject for saying and that is a subject for

:15:54. > :16:00.another debate. We can look into the role of youth workers in schools,

:16:01. > :16:03.something which is achieved often with academies where we can

:16:04. > :16:08.appreciate the value of youth workers because they can empathise

:16:09. > :16:13.with young people perhaps r`ther better and bring them into schools.

:16:14. > :16:18.I have been advocating for giving other rules to youth workers who

:16:19. > :16:22.sadly are no longer employed especially in local authorities

:16:23. > :16:26.because it is not a statutory requirement which has fallen by the

:16:27. > :16:32.wayside. I have sympathy with that but it is subject for anothdr

:16:33. > :16:39.debate. Very quickly, Madam Deputy Speaker, it plays into the last

:16:40. > :16:43.point and the importance of resilience and character edtcation

:16:44. > :16:47.into the well-being agenda hn schools which is something recent

:16:48. > :16:56.education sector days have taken on board. -- education secretaries An

:16:57. > :17:02.important issue is how this is monitored. Another recommendation in

:17:03. > :17:08.the report is that Ofsted should have a role hear. Ofsted have a role

:17:09. > :17:11.in assessing behaviour withhn a school and that should extend to how

:17:12. > :17:19.they cope with mental health problems among pupils as well. That

:17:20. > :17:23.should be on their check list. Also, we are really bad about

:17:24. > :17:29.disseminating good practice so where there are examples, I have seen many

:17:30. > :17:34.good examples. I remember in Stafford ready have full-tile

:17:35. > :17:38.counsellor. The teachers have confidence in her, they would refer

:17:39. > :17:43.children to hard and they would speak frankly to those councillors.

:17:44. > :17:54.They can prevent a lot of problems cutting Mitterrand for schools. --

:17:55. > :18:03.hot -- cutting problems latdr on for schools. Then that is the whole

:18:04. > :18:08.problem of Cyberbullying. In the report that is the promotion of self

:18:09. > :18:13.harm the websites. We need to be much more aggressive in tackling,

:18:14. > :18:18.especially for things like `norexia and self harm were people you do not

:18:19. > :18:24.know, if you are going therd for advice to a solution becausd you

:18:25. > :18:27.have feelings about self harm or anorexic problems, there ard bizarre

:18:28. > :18:32.websites which promote thosd things as well. As they suggest in this

:18:33. > :18:40.report, we need some form of verification scheme. We need a much

:18:41. > :18:45.more responsible and bigger role for social media companies who `re huge

:18:46. > :18:50.companies employing many thousands of people and yet in their scrutiny

:18:51. > :18:57.departments, the numbers ard woefully low. As a member of

:18:58. > :19:02.Parliament with Twitter accounts, we mostly have blue takes to s`y we are

:19:03. > :19:08.who we are coming have something of a verification scheme in here so

:19:09. > :19:13.that young people have some confidence that the sites they are

:19:14. > :19:18.accessing out there to give them support, not to encourage them to do

:19:19. > :19:22.harmful things to themselves. It applies over so many differdnt

:19:23. > :19:31.areas, including radicalisation sites as well. The recent rdport

:19:32. > :19:37.from the girl guides who regularly revisit the image of body pdrception

:19:38. > :19:43.of young girls, it is so al`rming that the number of young girls as

:19:44. > :19:48.young as 13 whose aspiration is to have plastic surgery. When xour body

:19:49. > :19:52.is not even fully formed, they are being conditioned to think this is

:19:53. > :19:57.the ideal they must aspire to. This is wrong and is that the root of so

:19:58. > :20:03.many of the weaknesses and vulnerabilities leading to lental

:20:04. > :20:08.illnesses and tragically le`ding to suicide, these influences on young

:20:09. > :20:14.people. In the old days, and note passed across at classroom sealed

:20:15. > :20:20.with a loving case might at worst end up on the floor, these days the

:20:21. > :20:26.equivalent and the worst extremes if it is a form of sexual text string,

:20:27. > :20:35.ends up on social media in perpetuity for millions of people to

:20:36. > :20:41.see. -- text string. That is the equivalent of a note in our

:20:42. > :20:46.playground days. Finally, the recommendations at the end of the

:20:47. > :20:51.report about young people w`nting to relate to people their own `ge

:20:52. > :20:56.rather than old men in suits, which takes in quite a few of the

:20:57. > :21:02.honourable members hear tod`y. They want to involve young peopld in the

:21:03. > :21:08.campaign... And speaking for myself! Involving young people in the

:21:09. > :21:11.campaign makes it easier for young people to receive the right message

:21:12. > :21:17.and so did recommend that a consultation group of young people

:21:18. > :21:22.be setup to work on and contribute to the anti stigma campaign and

:21:23. > :21:28.identify issues. I completely agree. When I was a children's minhster, I

:21:29. > :21:34.had four reference groups whthin the Department which is reported to me

:21:35. > :21:38.on three monthly basis, one with adopted children, one in residential

:21:39. > :21:43.care, residential homes and children who had recently left ear. They came

:21:44. > :21:47.to me without adults and thdy sat around the table and told md what

:21:48. > :21:52.was going on. The challenge some perceived wisdom is and I got some

:21:53. > :21:58.of the best information by speaking to those young people. Don't -- this

:21:59. > :22:02.report has been produced by young people and by reference to lany

:22:03. > :22:06.thousands of young people, lany of whom have suffered the sorts of

:22:07. > :22:13.problems we have mentioned hear today. We need to listen to their

:22:14. > :22:17.voice. We need to act on thdir recommendations and include and

:22:18. > :22:21.involve them in the solutions. That is why this report is so important

:22:22. > :22:32.to them and needs to be equ`lly as important to us, this House and this

:22:33. > :22:36.government. Hear, hear. Kev`n Jones. Can I begin by thanking my

:22:37. > :22:41.honourable friend for securhng this debate and thanking the Backbench

:22:42. > :22:48.Business Committee for allowing the time for the House to discuss it.

:22:49. > :22:52.Can I record thanks to the British Council and the Youth Select

:22:53. > :22:59.Committee for what is an excellent support. Can I also give a big thank

:23:00. > :23:04.mental health. People may bd sick of mental health. People may bd sick of

:23:05. > :23:10.me saying this but that is the way of addressing some of the stigma.

:23:11. > :23:13.Certainly talking about this report today will also mean that young

:23:14. > :23:22.people now we're taking the subject seriously. There are issues in this

:23:23. > :23:31.report that do crossover into issues in and sit -- adult mental services.

:23:32. > :23:37.What is unique about this rdport is that for those of us with more

:23:38. > :23:40.advanced years, it gives an insight into particular pressures on young

:23:41. > :23:46.people today which were not there when we were young. Also sole of the

:23:47. > :23:51.challenges for parents and schools in dealing with some of those

:23:52. > :23:57.pressures. I think the cord of this report is very important because it

:23:58. > :24:06.talks about a lot of the issues which you can say also affects adult

:24:07. > :24:15.mental health services. I whll concentrate on access, how people

:24:16. > :24:19.get access to mental health service is and the other, prevention and

:24:20. > :24:30.being able to address the issue not of mental health but mental health

:24:31. > :24:34.well-being. Access, as has been said, is important. How do xou

:24:35. > :24:37.access the services? The report talks about the provision of mental

:24:38. > :24:45.health service is to young people the Cinderella service of Chnderella

:24:46. > :24:54.services. If it's about mondy? Yes, it is. My honourable friend put it

:24:55. > :24:58.eloquently when he mentioned if you do not have their funding locally,

:24:59. > :25:06.you can have all the aspirations in the world but people cannot access

:25:07. > :25:11.services which are not therd. I agree the report is about more cash

:25:12. > :25:17.but also how we structure otr mental health is as in this countrx. The

:25:18. > :25:24.report, on page five, sums this up and draws a pyramid and a lhst of

:25:25. > :25:30.organisations which commisshon mental health services, schools

:25:31. > :25:34.local authorities, NHS Engl`nd and calls for a league commissioner

:25:35. > :25:39.which I would totally agree with. I would go a step further, in terms of

:25:40. > :25:44.commissioning services, we need to talk about the treatment pathways

:25:45. > :25:51.and how you actually get into those systems. Because anyone, and adult

:25:52. > :25:57.trying to navigate their mental health system, it is like a maze and

:25:58. > :26:03.not only needs to find your way through it but once you get into it,

:26:04. > :26:10.on many occasions, you can wait weeks or months or years to get the

:26:11. > :26:19.help which is available in some areas but also should be provided at

:26:20. > :26:22.a quicker rate. Early intervention, especially for young people, can

:26:23. > :26:29.prevent problems further down the line. I do sympathise with

:26:30. > :26:34.appearance because if they `re presented with a child with mental

:26:35. > :26:46.health problems, who do you go to? -- with parents. I think we're soon

:26:47. > :26:52.sometimes, that people are well versed in issues around mental

:26:53. > :27:02.health but how to issue services but we do need that pathway. -- I think

:27:03. > :27:06.we as soon. The report disctsses GPs and GP training. Therein lids the

:27:07. > :27:12.problem. I am not criticising GPs because a are some very good ones

:27:13. > :27:16.who do help and can access services. I support the recommendation in the

:27:17. > :27:23.report about more training for GPs but we need a more open system. We

:27:24. > :27:29.need a self referral system which is not necessarily going through GPs.

:27:30. > :27:31.That comes down to the issud around commissioning and how we provide

:27:32. > :27:36.mental health services in this country.

:27:37. > :27:43.It is a medical model for the mental health services, but I am not sure,

:27:44. > :27:48.in many cases, in needs to be a medical model. We need a more open

:27:49. > :27:52.system in this country which involves the voluntary sector. I am

:27:53. > :27:57.not suggesting this because it is a cheap option, but perhaps a better

:27:58. > :28:02.way of providing mental health services. But they need to be

:28:03. > :28:12.funded, as my honourable frhend for West Ham said. We can't just pass

:28:13. > :28:14.these over to some very good voluntary service organisathon and

:28:15. > :28:22.expect them to do it without the funding behind it. Therein lies the

:28:23. > :28:30.problem, I give credit to the member for North East Beds, who is a great

:28:31. > :28:36.champion the parity, a steal and how to get the system better. Btt the

:28:37. > :28:43.problem is, Madam Deputy Spdaker, as I said in an intervention e`rlier

:28:44. > :28:47.on, it is no good just lookhng at mental health in terms of the health

:28:48. > :28:52.Department. Because the cuts that have taken place in local government

:28:53. > :29:01.are having a direct impact on the provision of mental health services,

:29:02. > :29:07.whether it be the closure of the youth services, or whether ht be,

:29:08. > :29:13.for example voluntary sector organisation which relied on local

:29:14. > :29:18.government. This is false economy if we are putting more money into

:29:19. > :29:25.health but taking it out elsewhere in the system, we will create the

:29:26. > :29:32.continuing problem. CAMS, wd need a fundamental review of this service,

:29:33. > :29:35.it is a complete failure. I am not criticising the dedicated

:29:36. > :29:38.individuals who work within it. We have met them and they work very

:29:39. > :29:45.hard, but the workload they are dealing with and the system and how

:29:46. > :29:49.they get their referrals, they are doing fantastic work, but the system

:29:50. > :29:54.is broken as it is outlined at the moment. You cannot have a shtuation

:29:55. > :30:01.where you have young people waiting approximately six months for an

:30:02. > :30:05.assessment to get to access even an assessment, and then expect somehow

:30:06. > :30:12.families will cope, or the individual young person's mdntal

:30:13. > :30:17.health is going to cope. Wotld he agree in some cases children have

:30:18. > :30:20.two get so bad before its address, rather than being addressed in the

:30:21. > :30:30.first place so they don't actually get that state. That is the problem.

:30:31. > :30:36.The problem is, the longer xou leave, and I say this from personal

:30:37. > :30:43.experience, the longer you leave the issue undiagnosed or untreated, the

:30:44. > :30:47.worse it gets. I had a case recently, and one area I want to

:30:48. > :30:51.touch on slightly, is coming back to this idea we think parents `re

:30:52. > :30:56.somehow geniuses who know how to deal with children with mental

:30:57. > :31:08.illness, they don't. I work with a group in Durham

:31:09. > :31:13.called Kinship Carers, unclds, grandparents, who find themselves

:31:14. > :31:23.looking after young children. Many of those have come from the care

:31:24. > :31:29.system, because of abuse and stuff because their parents cannot cope. I

:31:30. > :31:32.had a case earlier this year where a six-year-old is self-harming. If you

:31:33. > :31:37.look at his background and talk to his grandparents, who are looking

:31:38. > :31:43.after him, you can perhaps understand why. But how does he

:31:44. > :31:49.access the CAMS service? He was told he would have to wait six months.

:31:50. > :31:53.You have a couple looking after a six-year-old, who aren't his

:31:54. > :31:57.biological parents, but are his grandparents and they say, what can

:31:58. > :32:05.we do with a six-year-old who is disruption at school and th`t leads

:32:06. > :32:09.to his exclusion. What happdns to him then? It is not just thd trauma

:32:10. > :32:16.and heartache, a six-year-old self-harming. The torment, `lso the

:32:17. > :32:23.knock-on effect within the family and the school as well. We do need a

:32:24. > :32:27.system which is a combination of community-based provision that I

:32:28. > :32:33.would like to see open access areas run by voluntary sector

:32:34. > :32:38.organisations, well funded, or part of the local authorities th`t

:32:39. > :32:43.provides a place where people can go for help, even just information on

:32:44. > :32:49.some occasions. That couple hadn't got a clue to do. What do you do in

:32:50. > :32:55.those situations? The systel is failing them. It shouldn't take me,

:32:56. > :33:00.and member of Parliament, to go to the mental health trusts for those

:33:01. > :33:05.people to access services. That is why we are. The problem we `lso have

:33:06. > :33:12.is, it's not just about makhng sure it's joined up locally becatse cuts

:33:13. > :33:18.in local services are having a direct impact. The other thhng,

:33:19. > :33:22.which is a big problem, is that the changes to the National health

:33:23. > :33:26.service and GP commissioning has led to a situation which has made it

:33:27. > :33:30.worse for many voluntary organisations. Contracts ard being

:33:31. > :33:35.left for a whole host of services which are too large and too complex.

:33:36. > :33:43.The idea local community groups which will provide good, local

:33:44. > :33:47.services, it can commission the services or bid for them. Btt they

:33:48. > :33:53.are too big and they are behng excluded from the money which is

:33:54. > :33:57.available. I am not saying for one minute and I don't think anxone who

:33:58. > :34:08.works in mental health servhces wants a free ride. They are quite

:34:09. > :34:12.happy to be evaluated and they have to ensure outcomes are therd and

:34:13. > :34:16.they are accountable. But the present system as it is now, those

:34:17. > :34:22.contracts being let by the NHS, there's no way many of thosd small

:34:23. > :34:26.organisations, which in manx cases would have been cheaper to deliver

:34:27. > :34:31.the service, but I think wotld have been better to deliver the service.

:34:32. > :34:37.The government needs to look at this, and perhaps it is difficult in

:34:38. > :34:54.the age of austerity, if thhs is dumb properly, this saves money It

:34:55. > :34:57.doesn't just save... In the report on page nine, they were takhng

:34:58. > :35:04.evidence from the Chief Medhcal Officer, and they said earlx

:35:05. > :35:09.intervention for young people can help avoid substantial health and

:35:10. > :35:14.social care costs over ten xears. ?15 in costs can be avoided for

:35:15. > :35:19.every pound invested. I would argue if the government really want to get

:35:20. > :35:24.value for money then this is a way of doing it. There is a problem and

:35:25. > :35:34.it's because we haven't approached anything in this country at the

:35:35. > :35:40.moment, we know the cost of everything, but the value of

:35:41. > :35:44.nothing. When this eventually pays for itself, the payback to society,

:35:45. > :35:50.not just making sure we havd a healthier and happier society, will

:35:51. > :35:59.be quite large. The other area I would like to touch on is the area

:36:00. > :36:07.which is covered in the report about prevention and the work in terms of

:36:08. > :36:15.schoolwork and making sure we mainstream mental well-being in this

:36:16. > :36:19.country. I think what we nedd to do, and it was mentioned earlier on the

:36:20. > :36:25.difficulties of Whitehall governments, but we do need, we

:36:26. > :36:30.don't need any more reports into some of these areas, but wh`t we

:36:31. > :36:34.need to do now is hard-wire, and I would call it mental well-bding

:36:35. > :36:41.into all public policy across Whitehall. Can it be done? Xes it

:36:42. > :36:45.can, because I was involved in the last Labour government when we

:36:46. > :36:49.mainstream a veteran policy. Bob Ainsworth, the minister at the time,

:36:50. > :36:54.commissioned the report on veterans, and made sure it was taken forward,

:36:55. > :36:59.that each individual departlent when it was coming up with public

:37:00. > :37:04.policy, took veterans into `ccount. We need a similar account in terms

:37:05. > :37:10.of mental health, or the mental well-being. The only way to do that,

:37:11. > :37:14.I have found, it is have a Cabinet subcommittee that says at C`binet

:37:15. > :37:20.level, the main departments make sure, when they are coming tp with a

:37:21. > :37:24.policy, they take into accotnt mental health well-being. Bdcause

:37:25. > :37:29.early investment always savds money, but makes for a better socidty. The

:37:30. > :37:36.issue in the report, which H totally agree with is supporting school

:37:37. > :37:42.counsellors. Councillors cotld, I think, be something of a prdssure

:37:43. > :37:48.valve in the system. Properly trained and a network of thdm across

:37:49. > :37:52.schools could intervene early on and prevent some of the issues. The

:37:53. > :37:57.report talks about, and I know another member was saying hd was

:37:58. > :38:03.reluctant to make sure schools were mandatory to carry out this type of

:38:04. > :38:07.work, but as the report said, we have national standards and

:38:08. > :38:13.curriculum is for physical education, we should have it for

:38:14. > :38:16.mental health as well. Again, it is a patchy picture. There is some good

:38:17. > :38:21.work going on in schools across the country in terms of teachers that

:38:22. > :38:27.are taking the initiative. Hn my own constituency, I have an indhvidual

:38:28. > :38:32.called Sam West struck, who is a lecture at the University and has

:38:33. > :38:37.done some mindfulness work with community groups and he has now

:38:38. > :38:43.taken it into secondary schools If you look at some of the feedback

:38:44. > :38:50.from schools about the effect as an individual, it raises stand`rds in

:38:51. > :39:00.many cases in terms... But ht is a patchy approach. It needs to be a

:39:01. > :39:06.dedicated time on the curriculum or an issue the governing bodids will

:39:07. > :39:12.take into account. But dumb properly, it will not only, I think,

:39:13. > :39:17.ensure the pressures young people face now, are happy going to school,

:39:18. > :39:24.but you save lives and I thhnk, in some cases, save money in the long

:39:25. > :39:29.term. Is this rocket sciencd? I don't think so in this country, we

:39:30. > :39:35.need to change the attitude to mental well-being. If we get it

:39:36. > :39:41.right in children, as the rdport highlights, then I think thd payback

:39:42. > :39:50.for this country and its economy long-term, is tremendous. C`n I

:39:51. > :39:54.finish where I started in thanking the youth Council for its work and

:39:55. > :39:58.also thank them for another opportunity we've had today to talk

:39:59. > :40:12.about mental health on the floor of the House. I would like to start by

:40:13. > :40:15.commending the member the Dtlwich, West Norwood, for securing `n

:40:16. > :40:21.important debate and raising so many potent issues. The quality of the

:40:22. > :40:25.debate has been high so far. Madam Deputy Speaker, I will start as

:40:26. > :40:30.others have bike paying tribute to the youth Parliament and a shout out

:40:31. > :40:37.to other young members of the youth Parliament in East Sussex, Joshua

:40:38. > :40:41.Morton all fits and Hayward Brown. They do a fantastic job and I hope

:40:42. > :40:46.one day at least a couple of them will be sitting on these benches as

:40:47. > :40:51.grown-up MPs. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am sure you will agree we could do

:40:52. > :40:57.with a more grown-up MPs in the House of Commons going forw`rd.

:40:58. > :41:00.Their mental and my mental councillor Sylvia tidy has done a

:41:01. > :41:04.great job in supporting these young members of the youth Parlialent and

:41:05. > :41:08.is a huge credit to the EIS@ six County Council. I want to p`y to

:41:09. > :41:13.beat to the work of the youth select committee that has produced this

:41:14. > :41:17.important report. It is still shocking how mental health hs

:41:18. > :41:22.treated as second-class health issue, compared to physical

:41:23. > :41:26.illnesses. This month of October, we recognise breast cancer awareness

:41:27. > :41:31.where we were pink ribbon c`mpaigns. This month of October is also went

:41:32. > :41:35.some celebrate Halloween parties up and down the country. But it remains

:41:36. > :41:40.a common occurrence for people to dress up as someone with a lental

:41:41. > :41:47.health illness, because it hs seen as being scary. Portraying lental

:41:48. > :41:53.health patients, hospital p`tients next to flesh eating zombies,

:41:54. > :41:56.because in our culture, sufferers of mental illnesses are often supposed

:41:57. > :42:02.to be feared or ridiculed and that must change. We need to challenge

:42:03. > :42:03.the stigma and attitude that is so present today. We must challenge

:42:04. > :42:20.those prejudices. The and which are just wrong. I am

:42:21. > :42:25.also guilty. As a new MPI rdceived casework, I heard about a young

:42:26. > :42:31.person who is struggling with a eating disorder and had gond away

:42:32. > :42:39.from home. I just assumed it was a girl. When I met the parents, it was

:42:40. > :42:46.a boy. Suicide rates among xoung men are shockingly high. If you are

:42:47. > :42:52.young man between 20 and 49 in the UK, you are more likely to die from

:42:53. > :42:58.suicide than cancer, road accident or heart disease. The shop ,- the

:42:59. > :43:03.statistics are shockingly hhgh. We do better than Japan where ht is the

:43:04. > :43:10.leading cause of death for xoung men. We have to do better whth early

:43:11. > :43:15.diagnosis. It has consequences for young people who are alreadx

:43:16. > :43:16.vulnerable to grooming and exploitation and become mord

:43:17. > :43:22.vulnerable when they suffer from vulnerable when they suffer from

:43:23. > :43:25.mental health issues. I recdntly chaired an inquiry for Barn`rdo s

:43:26. > :43:36.into harmful sexual behaviotr where the victims are survivors and the

:43:37. > :43:39.perpetrators are children as well. Mental health disorders can be

:43:40. > :43:45.factors in children committhng and being victims of sexual abuse. This

:43:46. > :43:50.makes early diagnosis even lore important. We have an issue where

:43:51. > :43:54.these children are recognisdd as troublesome but not vulnerable and

:43:55. > :43:59.suffering from mental illness. We can share best practice across

:44:00. > :44:03.schools, councils and policd services. Integration of edtcation

:44:04. > :44:08.and health is key, something the Member for East Worthing has touched

:44:09. > :44:11.upon. The role of the digit`l world is also important for the ilpact it

:44:12. > :44:18.plays on young people's mental health. The internet can be a

:44:19. > :44:24.difficult -- dangerous vehicle for grooming the vulnerable young people

:44:25. > :44:25.so I welcome the Youth Select Committee recommendation th`t the

:44:26. > :44:29.Department of Health should develop Department of Health should develop

:44:30. > :44:41.a trusting at which young pdople can use to access mental health

:44:42. > :44:47.services,.... The government has done great work on the youth website

:44:48. > :44:54.but it has not made it into art form so I would be grateful for `n update

:44:55. > :44:58.from the Minister. Many MPs have disagreements across the floor of

:44:59. > :45:03.this House but that is one thing we can all agree, that we would be

:45:04. > :45:07.enthusiasm and youthful brahns of enthusiasm and youthful brahns of

:45:08. > :45:11.our hard-working team. I was touched to hear the story of one yotng

:45:12. > :45:21.Parliamentary assistant who lost his brother to suicide. This is Jed s

:45:22. > :45:27.story. He woke up on his dax off to find a Facebook message posted by

:45:28. > :45:32.his brother, it said I am sorry with the location at the needle. A

:45:33. > :45:40.beautiful but tragedies loc`tion on the Isle of Wight. Jed's brother was

:45:41. > :45:44.genuine, hard-working and c`ving. He had suffered a marriage bre`kdown

:45:45. > :45:50.was back to himself with a fantastic new girlfriend but he took his own

:45:51. > :45:55.life. Writing afterwards, Jdd said it was such a shame that he felt he

:45:56. > :46:03.had nothing to live for. I promise I will do everything that I c`n that

:46:04. > :46:07.the world I grow old and will do everything to be caving with a

:46:08. > :46:13.greater willingness to understand people and provide greater support.

:46:14. > :46:20.This experience and others shows what is at stake. We must t`ckle

:46:21. > :46:25.stigma, we need early diagnosis and early support within a senshble time

:46:26. > :46:32.frame. Waiting months for therapy, whether for depression, anxhety or

:46:33. > :46:37.an eating disorder and often just because someone has not reached a

:46:38. > :46:40.trigger level of concern dods not help them, it hinders their recovery

:46:41. > :46:46.because time allows their stffering to get worse and because thdy come

:46:47. > :46:50.to believe their case cannot be important. If it was, surelx the

:46:51. > :46:56.deadly would be provided sooner which means when the servicd is

:46:57. > :47:04.available, it becomes even less likely to be successful. Ond key

:47:05. > :47:07.point in the Youth Select Committee report was that until funding is

:47:08. > :47:15.received in proportion to physical health we do not believe parity of

:47:16. > :47:20.of funding we put into ment`l health of funding we put into ment`l health

:47:21. > :47:24.and therapy is linked to our attitude towards it. Our attitude is

:47:25. > :47:29.linked to the amount of funding we put into it. One must leave the

:47:30. > :47:36.other. In this place, we can meet on the funding, assuring funding and

:47:37. > :47:42.good support for mental health. I welcome all the support the

:47:43. > :47:48.government has produced so far. The investment of an extra 1.4 billion

:47:49. > :47:52.in young people's mental he`lth service is is especially welcome but

:47:53. > :47:57.investing and I would urge the investing and I would urge the

:47:58. > :48:00.Minister to do just that. When funding parity is achieved `nd

:48:01. > :48:05.timely and appropriate support is available for all who need ht, the

:48:06. > :48:11.taboo surrounding mental he`lth can be crushed. Finally, I want to pay

:48:12. > :48:16.tribute to Jed for allowing me to share the touching account of his

:48:17. > :48:20.painful memories of the day his brother committed suicide. By

:48:21. > :48:25.sharing his story, we both help this will prevent others from taking that

:48:26. > :48:29.most desperate route and relained any young person who might be

:48:30. > :48:39.struggling with mental health that they are both valuable and valued.

:48:40. > :48:43.Hear, hear. Many thanks, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would likd to

:48:44. > :48:49.start by thanking Youth Seldct Committee or an excellent and

:48:50. > :48:53.comprehensive report, compiled by our young parliamentarians with

:48:54. > :48:58.experienced evidence. It is extremely thorough and a crddit to

:48:59. > :49:01.them. I would also like to thank the backbench business Dmitri Gruzdev

:49:02. > :49:09.for scheduling this debate, alongside the honourable melber for

:49:10. > :49:14.West Dulwich. I do create a professional interest having worked

:49:15. > :49:22.as a professional counsellor for 20 years. I also had the real privilege

:49:23. > :49:28.of contributing to the eviddnce taken by the Youth Select Committee

:49:29. > :49:35.during its inquiry ensue usdd Mental Health Act this is. Mental health is

:49:36. > :49:40.an extremely wide field, re`ding from major illnesses such as

:49:41. > :49:48.psychosis to depression and anxiety to trauma and eating disorddrs.

:49:49. > :49:53.Child disorders like a DHT `nd autistic spectrum disorders are also

:49:54. > :49:57.often included in this field of mental health. I would welcome

:49:58. > :50:02.future debates on those conditions as well because we will not had time

:50:03. > :50:06.to do them justice today. As a member of the all-party comlittee on

:50:07. > :50:14.autism, I have a particular interest in this field and would comlend a

:50:15. > :50:20.recent report about autism which highlights that 80% of children with

:50:21. > :50:25.autism experience anxiety every single day attending school. Such

:50:26. > :50:29.critical group, we must target our resources and make sure that early

:50:30. > :50:33.diagnosis and support for the young child and the whole family to

:50:34. > :50:40.understand and make sure support is provided. We know that more than

:50:41. > :50:48.half of mental ill-health starts before the age of 14 and 75$ before

:50:49. > :50:53.18. Both early intervention and prevention of mental ill he`lth

:50:54. > :50:59.during childhood I a key. Absolutely critical in relation to redtcing

:51:00. > :51:04.morbidity and enabling effective interventions because the qticker we

:51:05. > :51:10.intervene, the more effectively we intervene and also in terms of NHS

:51:11. > :51:15.cost effectiveness. In 2014, I health improvement and efficiency

:51:16. > :51:21.Scotland and across the UK leaning Scotland and across the UK leaning

:51:22. > :51:28.that patients should be seen upon referral in 18 weeks includhng CAMHS

:51:29. > :51:31.services. The figures suggest that 84% of children and as a le`d

:51:32. > :51:36.Scotland are treated within this time. The benchmark is 90% so we

:51:37. > :51:42.have come a long way in this regard but we have to travel. Therd are now

:51:43. > :51:48.significantly increased refdrral rates, which may mean incre`sed

:51:49. > :51:54.figures but we also mean th`t the stigma is reducing and people feel

:51:55. > :51:58.more able to present so it hs a mixed picture. Mental health this is

:51:59. > :52:04.in Scotland and across the TK are not the finished article. -,

:52:05. > :52:08.services. We should strive towards improvement which should be guided

:52:09. > :52:14.by patient need and research underpinning most effective clinical

:52:15. > :52:20.health problems in childhood are health problems in childhood are

:52:21. > :52:28.extremely serious. At worst, they can destroy educational potdntial

:52:29. > :52:33.and at least they can impedd it and relations with peers and within the

:52:34. > :52:40.family. This is critical, wd must address these issues. They can also

:52:41. > :52:46.lead to suicide and self harm. Difficulties must be assessdd and

:52:47. > :52:50.recognised at an early stagd. Widespread staff training h`s been

:52:51. > :52:56.undertaken in Scotland to try to ensure that we can pick up tpon

:52:57. > :53:01.mental health issues within this age group. Cognitive behaviour therapy,

:53:02. > :53:07.family therapy and interpersonal therapy and intervention for eating

:53:08. > :53:13.disorders with a focus on S`int close to home as possible h`ve been

:53:14. > :53:17.rolled out. We must make continual progress. Then acquires to be

:53:18. > :53:24.additional resource link for services or inpatients. Inp`tient

:53:25. > :53:28.treatment in itself should for patience and adolescents be a last

:53:29. > :53:34.resort because it takes children away from the family home. Best

:53:35. > :53:39.practice highlights intensive outreach approaches enabling

:53:40. > :53:42.children to be seen at home and treated in the natural environment

:53:43. > :53:50.so maximising key family and peer support. Children who need hnpatient

:53:51. > :53:57.services may suffer psychoshs, eating disorders or

:53:58. > :54:00.obsessive-compulsive disorddrs or a variety of conditions. Currdntly

:54:01. > :54:06.there are 48 beds available in Scotland and ?8 million has been

:54:07. > :54:10.pledged to build a new unit for adolescents in Dundee. We mtst

:54:11. > :54:15.ensure that service and provision meet the need to. I clinical

:54:16. > :54:21.experience suggests a lack of beds in forensic and learning disability

:54:22. > :54:26.child and mental health this is and I believe that should be addressed.

:54:27. > :54:32.Moving back to the report, H welcome it and I welcome its findings. There

:54:33. > :54:36.needs to be better communic`tion channels... When children's care is

:54:37. > :54:42.transferred between professhonals and also importantly as has been

:54:43. > :54:46.described at key stages of development, such as moving from

:54:47. > :54:52.adolescent to adult services, the requires to be a component of the

:54:53. > :54:55.training programme for general practitioners identifying children's

:54:56. > :55:03.mental health issues. I would include symptoms of autism spectrum

:55:04. > :55:07.disorder and hyper attention deficit with them that training bec`use we

:55:08. > :55:15.need to shorten the time of presentation to the feral. Picking

:55:16. > :55:22.up symptoms quickly helps whth this. -- to rip feral. These are `ll

:55:23. > :55:28.fundamental coping skills which impact on everyday aspects for a

:55:29. > :55:33.functioning and deserve mord of a health and well-being slant rather

:55:34. > :55:36.than a diagnosis one. So access to mental health specialist in schools

:55:37. > :55:41.is minuted as well as mental health awareness and training and

:55:42. > :55:47.especially training for Sue Taft in schools so they can pick up at an

:55:48. > :55:52.early stage. -- for staff in schools. And help them to access

:55:53. > :55:58.services. Specialist training for teachers would be a positivd step

:55:59. > :56:02.forward. Education for children is also crucial so they can iddntify

:56:03. > :56:09.when they are struggling and what makes for a good mental well-being.

:56:10. > :56:13.They can seek help when needed or identify when appeal is strtggling.

:56:14. > :56:18.Young people like to be involved and should be involved in their

:56:19. > :56:23.carefully. We also need to lodernise our approaches to mental he`lth is

:56:24. > :56:27.for children and adolescents and embrace the social media idda of

:56:28. > :56:28.communicating with young people because it is the modern world and

:56:29. > :56:40.it is where they communicatd. We have an application webshte

:56:41. > :56:45.called save spots to promotd positive coping skills, safdty

:56:46. > :56:49.planning and access to information about mental health services for

:56:50. > :56:53.young people. It is a good step forward and I am aware

:56:54. > :56:59.recommendations for online standardisation and approval of

:57:00. > :57:03.resources, would be a key step. We must also address bullying `nd

:57:04. > :57:06.particularly online bullying, which appears to be on the increase and

:57:07. > :57:16.very, very badly affecting children's lives. Everywherd, we

:57:17. > :57:22.must address bullying. Only this summer when I was discussing mental

:57:23. > :57:28.health, was I informed by NLP who was appearing on a delegation I was

:57:29. > :57:34.on, MPs have a high suicide rate, which is something I was un`ware of.

:57:35. > :57:36.We must lead by example, we must ensure mental health and well-being

:57:37. > :57:44.is addressed in all aspects of life and provide a role model. There

:57:45. > :57:52.remains a lack of data regarding effective interventions for young

:57:53. > :57:56.people with mental health difficulties are coupled with

:57:57. > :58:01.learning difficulties and social issues. That needs to be buhlt upon

:58:02. > :58:06.for future research and tre`tment programmes. I would like to touch on

:58:07. > :58:10.services for looked after and accommodated children, becatse they

:58:11. > :58:15.some of the most disadvantaged children with the magnitude of

:58:16. > :58:20.difficulties they present whth. We have violent rest needs and self

:58:21. > :58:22.harm needs. Further self provision for specialist groups and

:58:23. > :58:26.underpinning research are crucial and I'm pleased at the First

:58:27. > :58:32.Minister is going to be pledging to these groups. Given the weight of

:58:33. > :58:39.evidence for child and adoldscent mental health services is in favour

:58:40. > :58:43.of psychological rather than from a logical interventions, clear

:58:44. > :58:46.structures need to be in pl`ce to support the delivery of effdctive

:58:47. > :58:53.evidence -based psychologic`l therapies for children and

:58:54. > :58:59.adolescents. Child and adoldscent psychology posts have doubldd in

:59:00. > :59:04.Scotland but we need to continue and strengthen this progress. Those from

:59:05. > :59:08.socially disadvantaged backgrounds have tended to have a poorer uptake

:59:09. > :59:15.of these services and in thdse cases, an assertive outreach

:59:16. > :59:19.approach may be required so most of those requiring it most don't slip

:59:20. > :59:28.through the net. Mental health services do require a considerable

:59:29. > :59:32.funding. This is beyond party politics, it is crucial to tackle

:59:33. > :59:36.this meaningfully in a cross-party manner, sharing best practice across

:59:37. > :59:40.the whole of the United Kingdom We need real progress to reach children

:59:41. > :59:49.and other lessons and to help all of our children achieve their full

:59:50. > :59:57.potential. It is a great pldasure to follow the honourable member for

:59:58. > :00:17.East Kilbride. I particularly applaud...

:00:18. > :00:23.I particularly applaud the point made about making this very much a

:00:24. > :00:28.cross-party matter we can all walk together. As the young people have

:00:29. > :00:31.shown is from this fantastic report, working together on a matter like

:00:32. > :00:40.this is only going to help `ll voices be heard and recognised. Can

:00:41. > :00:46.I thank the honourable membdr for sponsoring this debate. I ghve my

:00:47. > :00:50.apologies for being back and forth. In a way it may describe too many

:00:51. > :00:57.watching as to why there ard so few MPs on these benches today. I have

:00:58. > :01:00.taken into account the point made my right honourable friend for East

:01:01. > :01:04.Worthing Shoreham, it would be good to have these debates sponsored

:01:05. > :01:09.during government time when members may not be in their constittencies.

:01:10. > :01:12.Thursday afternoon is when Bill committees sit and government and

:01:13. > :01:18.opposition members are requhred to be there as well. I should hasten to

:01:19. > :01:21.add, I should also be in a Bill committee, but I was so detdrmined

:01:22. > :01:26.to speak on this matter, I have come to speak on these benches. Ht is for

:01:27. > :01:32.that reason I will always bd asking for more from ministers frol these

:01:33. > :01:36.benches, rather than being on the benches delivering it myself. I

:01:37. > :01:43.commend this 2015 youth seldct committee report. I applaud the

:01:44. > :01:49.90,000 young people who took part in the vote, but the 90,000 people who

:01:50. > :01:53.voted for mental health services for young people to be their prhority

:01:54. > :01:57.issue of concern. They are absolutely right to be focused on

:01:58. > :02:02.this issue. They are in the best position to give their opinhon on

:02:03. > :02:07.this subject. Madam Deputy Speaker, I decided it was achieve prhority

:02:08. > :02:12.for me when I became elected as an MP in East Sussex 18 months ago

:02:13. > :02:18.Upon my election, the severhty on this issue, bit sickly among young

:02:19. > :02:24.people became apparent. I found as I still do, the stories of carefree,

:02:25. > :02:29.confident and happy lives bding shut down as young people enter ` dark

:02:30. > :02:34.world of fear, anxiety and hsolation to be incredibly upsetting. As a

:02:35. > :02:38.result of my concern, I chose this issue when being pulled out of the

:02:39. > :02:43.hat for my first Prime Minister 's question. I told the then Prime

:02:44. > :02:48.Minister I have spent an afternoon in my constituency visiting three

:02:49. > :02:52.families, each had a child who they felt had not been given the

:02:53. > :02:57.early-stage intervention be expected by the child and adolescent mental

:02:58. > :03:00.health services. I asked thd Prime Minister for more focus on

:03:01. > :03:04.early-stage treatment so yotng people don't find their condition

:03:05. > :03:08.becoming more acute. Madam Deputy Speaker, it is not just our civic

:03:09. > :03:14.duty, it is an economic and social imperative. When my constittents ask

:03:15. > :03:24.me why the roads in East Sussex are in a state, I explain I havd secured

:03:25. > :03:32.?250,000 just to fund one ydar's treatment for youth mental health.

:03:33. > :03:36.Fixing health has to come bdfore fixing the tarmac. It is a huge

:03:37. > :03:42.financial concern to my County Council colleagues. Madam Ddputy

:03:43. > :03:48.Speaker, I firmly believe there is too much pressure being loaded on

:03:49. > :03:52.people too young. Social media and the Internet, as pioneering as it

:03:53. > :03:56.is, is a curse on well-being. The Internet service providers need to

:03:57. > :04:01.be forced to do more. Every young people should have the right to have

:04:02. > :04:05.their web history expunged `nd deleted. Cyber-bullying is

:04:06. > :04:08.recognised as a crime, but dvery school needs to ensure their pupils

:04:09. > :04:14.are aware of good Internet practice and the sanctions for abuse. We also

:04:15. > :04:18.need to be aware that young people and children are accessing graphic

:04:19. > :04:27.images and media they cannot understand. Can I just turndd to the

:04:28. > :04:31.report, page 52. It talks about education and I commend the

:04:32. > :04:35.statement which recommends the government develop and introduce

:04:36. > :04:41.statutory levels of attainmdnt for mental health education. Schools

:04:42. > :04:44.should have autonomy to delhver mental health education flexibly,

:04:45. > :04:48.but must demonstrate how pupils reached the attainment levels. In so

:04:49. > :04:51.doing, may I suggest the curriculum looks at social media and the

:04:52. > :04:57.Internet when combining mental health well-being training. We also

:04:58. > :05:02.need to look at training from GPs. It is summed up by the young person

:05:03. > :05:07.who wrote up their experience in paragraph 32 of this excelldnt

:05:08. > :05:11.report. To me it is essenti`l the GP doesn't diagnose mental health

:05:12. > :05:15.condition but refers the yotng person to a specialist. I know

:05:16. > :05:18.mental health specialists fhnd it frustrating to have GPs diagnose

:05:19. > :05:22.mental health condition when the specialist doesn't regard it as

:05:23. > :05:29.such. Once the barge is givdn, it is difficult to remove. Equallx, I have

:05:30. > :05:33.brilliant GPs, such as thosd in surgeries who helped Mike

:05:34. > :05:38.constituents in Battle who have championed young people, and are

:05:39. > :05:41.frustrated that the delay in early intervention in mental health

:05:42. > :05:44.services. I work closely with my local CAMS team and have thd highest

:05:45. > :05:51.regard for the many excellent specialists who do their best.

:05:52. > :05:55.However, it is of concern to me constituents face lengthy w`iting

:05:56. > :05:58.times and some have been pushed from politicos when receiving trdatment.

:05:59. > :06:02.Building trust is a key in treatment in successful diagnosis and

:06:03. > :06:06.treatment. I hear stories of young people finding the courage `nd trust

:06:07. > :06:10.to open up about their condhtion, only to find there is a new

:06:11. > :06:13.practitioner at the subsequdnt session. It disappoints me to find

:06:14. > :06:17.the young person has regressed because of the change of personnel.

:06:18. > :06:22.I would like a commitment to treatment being given on a fixed

:06:23. > :06:26.one-to-one basis. If we can do this for maternity provision, surely we

:06:27. > :06:29.can do it for mental health treatment. When attending the mental

:06:30. > :06:35.health task force Lodge, how was buoyed by the commitment by the

:06:36. > :06:38.chief executive of NHS Engl`nd to implement the five-year report. The

:06:39. > :06:45.aspect that cheered me was the commitment of funds to ensure acute

:06:46. > :06:52.hospitals have adequate mental health expertise on A awards. To

:06:53. > :06:55.deal with those hospitalised as a result of mental health isstes or

:06:56. > :07:00.have such a condition in addition to a physical illness. What drove my

:07:01. > :07:05.concern was the experience of a family in my constituency following

:07:06. > :07:09.a suicide attempt. The NHS didn t have the ability to do with the

:07:10. > :07:14.mental health condition and my constituent, young man in hhs teens,

:07:15. > :07:18.was forced to wait until CALS stuff could make their way over from

:07:19. > :07:21.another town miles away. I understand the need for specialist

:07:22. > :07:25.treatment, but there is the need for a culture change across the entirety

:07:26. > :07:29.of the NHS and all staff should be trained to understand mental health

:07:30. > :07:32.and provide a basic level of treatment in the area.

:07:33. > :07:38.Specialisation in the health service is important, but if the NHS becomes

:07:39. > :07:43.overly specialise, it can ldad to a lack of general involvement for care

:07:44. > :07:49.for patients in such areas. I know the government will fund 24 hours a

:07:50. > :07:52.day provisions in our hospitals but I was stunned by the chief dxecutive

:07:53. > :07:57.of my local trust who said the funding may not stretch far enough

:07:58. > :08:02.to deliver for that time. I want to ensure this coverage will not mean

:08:03. > :08:05.other NHS staff with the necessary levels of empathy feel they are not

:08:06. > :08:08.empowered to help many patidnts in hospital who need help with their

:08:09. > :08:13.mental health care in addithon to their physical well-being. H

:08:14. > :08:16.ultimately believe getting early-stage intervention right is a

:08:17. > :08:23.key part of getting proper diagnosis for people with their mental health

:08:24. > :08:27.condition. I don't believe we should Miss diagnose young people who are

:08:28. > :08:30.suffering growing pains and need families and friends guidance to

:08:31. > :08:34.overcome the problems of adolescence, but I have met too many

:08:35. > :08:38.young children who face a dhfficult future because their mental health

:08:39. > :08:42.condition was not treated at an early stage. Funding in mental

:08:43. > :08:46.health treatment is the most important investment, not only for

:08:47. > :08:50.welfare and well-being, but enable these amazing young people to fulfil

:08:51. > :08:54.their hopes and dreams and their careers and make something of

:08:55. > :08:56.themselves and their countrx. So Madam Deputy Speaker, I absolutely

:08:57. > :09:01.applaud the amazing work of all those involved in the British youth

:09:02. > :09:04.Council, many of whom are in my county of East Sussex and h`ve done

:09:05. > :09:09.so much to produce this excdllent report. These young people `re

:09:10. > :09:12.leading the charge to ensurd the nation supports all those affected

:09:13. > :09:19.by this terrible condition. We owe it to them and young people to

:09:20. > :09:25.deliver better mental health service and all of the recommendations in

:09:26. > :09:28.this report will do just th`t. It is a pleasure to follow the honourable

:09:29. > :09:32.member full backs hill and battle and I congratulate the membdr for

:09:33. > :09:38.Dulwich and West Norwood for securing this debate and my

:09:39. > :09:41.honourable friend is having quite a week. She has pressed the Prime

:09:42. > :09:47.Minister this week about thd serious issue of child sexual explohtation

:09:48. > :09:50.in her constituency. She is helping to lead the charge on the

:09:51. > :09:56.homelessness reduction Bill as well. Just delighted she found tile to be

:09:57. > :10:00.here and lead the debate thhs afternoon. As one of the eldcted

:10:01. > :10:05.honorary presidents of the British youth Council, I am delightdd this

:10:06. > :10:10.debate arises from the select committee's report into young

:10:11. > :10:14.people's mental health. I hope the FAQ members of Parliament h`ve taken

:10:15. > :10:17.the initiative to make sure we are debating it here in the House of

:10:18. > :10:23.Commons, reassures the UK youth Parliament, youth councils `nd

:10:24. > :10:27.people generally their voicd is being heard and challenge now is to

:10:28. > :10:34.make sure they are being listened to by government. Is also worth saying

:10:35. > :10:38.that much of the profile thd UK youth Parliament enjoys arotnd the

:10:39. > :10:42.houses of parliament, particularly with the annual sitting, whhch will

:10:43. > :10:47.be due to take place in this chamber on the 11th of November, arhses out

:10:48. > :10:53.of the personal support of Lr Speaker. I speak on behalf of of so

:10:54. > :10:59.many people involved in thanking Mr Speaker for his consistent champing

:11:00. > :11:04.of young people and democracy. My interest and the reason why I am

:11:05. > :11:09.here, partly spends as my thme as deputy cabinet minister for health

:11:10. > :11:15.and well-being in Redbridge. But the reason I have chosen to be here on

:11:16. > :11:19.Thursday afternoon is because of the experience I have had both `s a

:11:20. > :11:23.counsellor and of a member of Parliament in listening dirdctly to

:11:24. > :11:27.young people talking about their concerns and their issues, `nd their

:11:28. > :11:34.friends' issues with mental ill-health. In Redbridge, wd have a

:11:35. > :11:37.fantastic youth Council, th`t like the National UK youth Parli`ment,

:11:38. > :11:39.has prioritised work on mental health and I will come on to talk

:11:40. > :11:52.about that. I was struck, listening to xoung

:11:53. > :11:57.people across our borough, talking in an open and candid and courageous

:11:58. > :11:59.way about their own strugglds with mental health and what they have

:12:00. > :12:06.seen in the classroom and communities. Although much of what

:12:07. > :12:11.they were describing was harrowing, it was concerning from a public

:12:12. > :12:14.policy point of view, I think it is encouraging that this young

:12:15. > :12:20.generation of young people seem to be far more into discussing mental

:12:21. > :12:28.health and have mobilised this discussion NLB that physical ailment

:12:29. > :12:32.discussion is normal. That will help change the culture around mdntal

:12:33. > :12:39.health discussions. More recently, I chaired a meeting on the yotth

:12:40. > :12:44.affairs on mental health and again, seeing young people across the

:12:45. > :12:48.country filled the largest committee rooms in the House of Commons was

:12:49. > :12:55.hugely encouraging, but the key message which came across w`s about

:12:56. > :13:00.the failure of public services and health services to address concerns

:13:01. > :13:04.that many of these young people had personally experienced. We know from

:13:05. > :13:11.much of the research and thd excellent briefings we have had from

:13:12. > :13:13.charities, that there are significant and well-known problems

:13:14. > :13:20.nationally when it comes to mental ill-health affecting young people.

:13:21. > :13:25.One in ten young children and young people has a diagnosable mental

:13:26. > :13:29.health condition, which is the equivalent of three children in

:13:30. > :13:33.every classroom. We also know there are many more who suffer periods of

:13:34. > :13:37.anxiety, emotional distress and ill-health because of the growing

:13:38. > :13:42.pressures of childhood. That should give us pause for thought and cause

:13:43. > :13:45.for concern. Three quarters of young people with mental health m`y not

:13:46. > :13:51.get access to the treatment they need. I was concerned with `

:13:52. > :13:57.statistic which my friend mdntioned that CAMHS are turning away

:13:58. > :14:04.children, up to one quarter of children referred for treatlent by

:14:05. > :14:08.parents and teachers and GPs. It cannot be acceptable but such a high

:14:09. > :14:13.proportion of children who have been referred by people with expdrt C --

:14:14. > :14:20.expertise, to be turned awax like that is unacceptable. I will give

:14:21. > :14:29.way. Thank you. He is making a powerful contribution. I drhp in

:14:30. > :14:34.Nottingham published report on research they had taken. Thdy found

:14:35. > :14:38.26% of young people had not sought any help or treatment despite facing

:14:39. > :14:46.a mental health problem. Th`t was twice as likely end minoritx and

:14:47. > :14:52.ethnic young people. Does hd agree we need to do more to raise

:14:53. > :14:54.awareness of the ability to seek out help and that has to take into

:14:55. > :15:01.account the needs of all yotng people? I agree with what mx

:15:02. > :15:05.leads me onto a point which is about leads me onto a point which is about

:15:06. > :15:10.provision young people. It hs not just the case that young people

:15:11. > :15:13.generally are finding difficulty accessing mental health is hs, I

:15:14. > :15:18.think the government and he`lth services need to look careftlly at

:15:19. > :15:23.the profile of young people who are affected. During my time as head of

:15:24. > :15:28.education at Stonewall, we published a school report which was a piece of

:15:29. > :15:32.research done with young people by the University of Cambridge which

:15:33. > :15:38.found exceptionally high and extremely worrying levels of mental

:15:39. > :15:46.health amongst lesbian, gay and transsexual people. Many of the

:15:47. > :15:53.numbers of self harm which have been referred to are higher amongst this

:15:54. > :16:02.group. The incidence of harl amongst LB GT people is higher, a ntmber of

:16:03. > :16:08.them are self harming and around one quarter have attempted suichde or

:16:09. > :16:12.considered taking their own lives. That is epidemic proportions and

:16:13. > :16:20.points to a crisis for LB GT people. This leads to provision... H will.

:16:21. > :16:26.Thank you. He will be interdsted to know that this same report

:16:27. > :16:31.identifies young people who are identified as homosexual or bisexual

:16:32. > :16:36.were most likely to have experienced mental health issues but whdn

:16:37. > :16:40.seeking treatment or support their experiences were more likelx to be

:16:41. > :16:46.negative. Does that give more credence to the need to address

:16:47. > :16:51.their specific needs? It re`lly does. One thing which concerns me

:16:52. > :16:59.most about the poor experience that young people have with ment`l health

:17:00. > :17:04.services, reflected at the Parliamentary group, it is not just

:17:05. > :17:09.GPs and teachers to recognise young people are being failed and turned

:17:10. > :17:14.away, it is young people thdmselves. I cannot imagine what it must be

:17:15. > :17:20.like to be a young person stffering from depression or anxiety or

:17:21. > :17:22.something else, now that yot have a problem, going to seek help and then

:17:23. > :17:28.being left to feel ignored, being left to feel ignored,

:17:29. > :17:35.dismissed and unsupported. H have mentioned the proportion for LB GT

:17:36. > :17:42.people is higher, it is higher for trans-young people. I represent a

:17:43. > :17:48.highly diverse community, ethnically and religiously and it worrhes me

:17:49. > :17:53.that Asian communities seem to be far less likely to seek accdss to

:17:54. > :18:00.mental health this is. Therd is a job to tackle stigma there. --

:18:01. > :18:09.mental health services. Also in Afro-Caribbean communities, in

:18:10. > :18:13.addition to all the other f`ilures around public policy towards

:18:14. > :18:17.Afro-Caribbean people, it is an indictment that the majoritx of

:18:18. > :18:21.Afro-Caribbean people come hnto conflict with their mental health

:18:22. > :18:29.system through the criminal justice system. That is a terrible system --

:18:30. > :18:34.state of affairs. Partly thhs is about funding. We have had `

:18:35. > :18:42.good-natured debate this afternoon. I am not trying to be objectionable

:18:43. > :18:45.week, there were three or four week, there were three or four

:18:46. > :18:54.members of the side of the House who raised the issue of mental health.

:18:55. > :18:59.To the Minister. Her responses were quite inadequate. Beyond general

:19:00. > :19:03.statements about parity of dsteem, the Prime Minister seemed unable to

:19:04. > :19:09.point to any meaningful acthon she was aware how come -- her government

:19:10. > :19:12.was taking regarding mental health. The Minister is hear this afternoon

:19:13. > :19:22.but the prime minister needs to make this a priority of horrors. Much of

:19:23. > :19:28.this is about joined up govdrnment. -- priority of hers. It is not good

:19:29. > :19:34.for the Prime Minister to the short fitted or wrong headed. We need

:19:35. > :19:37.stronger leadership on ment`l health stronger leadership on ment`l health

:19:38. > :19:40.from the Prime Minister and I was disappointed with what we s`w during

:19:41. > :19:50.Prime Minister's Questions this week. Parity of esteem is not about

:19:51. > :19:56.funding, it is about resources. When you look at the front -- spdnd on

:19:57. > :20:03.children, just 6.3% of the 01% is spent on children. I recognhse the

:20:04. > :20:06.government has made a commitment to invest 1.4 billion in children's

:20:07. > :20:10.mental health over the next few years and I welcome that but I would

:20:11. > :20:15.encourage the government to deliver that funding sooner rather than

:20:16. > :20:24.later. When you look at the picture locally, budgets have been cut and

:20:25. > :20:27.frozen. Seven in ten health trusts and local authorities are freezing

:20:28. > :20:35.their budgets because of prdssure from central government. My

:20:36. > :20:40.honourable friend has highlhghted future divisions which are coming

:20:41. > :20:44.down the track. This will m`ke that picture even worse. Within the

:20:45. > :20:49.London Borough of Redbridge the council is doing fantastic work with

:20:50. > :20:57.limited resources, but I can say with first-hand experience `s an

:20:58. > :21:02.elected member of the borough that cuts are abating. That is bding

:21:03. > :21:07.compounded by the picture of our local health authority, both of our

:21:08. > :21:15.NHS trusts are in special mdasures. Both heads will be leaving sooner

:21:16. > :21:20.rather than later. Primary care is creaking. Our clinical group is

:21:21. > :21:27.struggling. Our community hdalth trust is an a rating which requires

:21:28. > :21:31.improvements. Part of the challenge for Redbridge in particular is that

:21:32. > :21:35.it is not simply about fundhng reductions which are affecthng the

:21:36. > :21:40.borough but that the funding formula does not lead to a settlement for

:21:41. > :21:46.Redbridge that genuinely reflects the needs of our population. I would

:21:47. > :21:50.urge the Minister to look c`refully at the wider public health funding

:21:51. > :21:55.in Redbridge has been disadvantaged through the public formula `nd say

:21:56. > :22:01.what we can do about that. H certainly will. Thank you, H am

:22:02. > :22:05.grateful to them for giving way I do not want to enter skirmish about

:22:06. > :22:10.funding but would he agree with me that in my area, east Sussex, the

:22:11. > :22:17.way to find efficiency savings that the NHS requires to do, is to have a

:22:18. > :22:21.better together organisation so that the hospitals and all the other

:22:22. > :22:26.health care providers are all together talking? This will save

:22:27. > :22:33.money and will make everyond join up and as he said, that is the best way

:22:34. > :22:38.forward. I welcome that intdrvention and he has anticipated some of my

:22:39. > :22:42.closing remarks. I will havd positive remarks about government

:22:43. > :22:47.policy in that respect. It hs not just about funding, it is about

:22:48. > :22:54.leadership and accountability. I have to say that the damning CQC

:22:55. > :23:01.report into the Brookside unit in the constituency of Ilford South

:23:02. > :23:04.Morgan raised eyebrows. Somd of the judgment is the CQC made about a

:23:05. > :23:09.facility which is therefore children's mental health provision,

:23:10. > :23:14.the ward environments were tnsafe, unclean and not suited to the care

:23:15. > :23:20.of young people. The wards were not adequately staffed. There w`s a use

:23:21. > :23:24.of restraint and tranquillised esure and of the unit. The ethos of the

:23:25. > :23:30.unit was containment. Care plans are unit was containment. Care plans are

:23:31. > :23:34.not recover the orientated. During the inspection resource staff

:23:35. > :23:38.refused to facilitate progrdss of young people. Young people stated

:23:39. > :23:44.the quality of food did not cater for cultural and religious needs. If

:23:45. > :23:49.you know the London Borough of Redbridge, you know how tot`lly

:23:50. > :23:55.inappropriate that is. My qtestion to the trust is simple, why did it

:23:56. > :24:04.CQC before sufficient action was CQC before sufficient action was

:24:05. > :24:07.taken? For what I concede, from conversations with colleaguds in the

:24:08. > :24:13.local authority there is cldarly a road to improvement but it should

:24:14. > :24:16.not take inspectors to come in and highlight unforgivable failtre is to

:24:17. > :24:22.some of our most vulnerable young people. And at the worst experiences

:24:23. > :24:29.I have had a second constittency MP, universally the worst experhence as

:24:30. > :24:34.a constituency MP are Fridax afternoons in my surgeries when some

:24:35. > :24:38.of the awful cases I see with people who have been badly failed by public

:24:39. > :24:46.services. One case which I will never forget was the case of Simon

:24:47. > :24:54.Harris, a 30-year-old young man who was failed by a hospital because he

:24:55. > :25:00.was insufficiently cared for, he was allowed under the care of the NHS to

:25:01. > :25:06.take his own life while on the very place his family thought wotld keep

:25:07. > :25:11.them safe. I never want to have a conversation with a constittent

:25:12. > :25:14.again like the one I had with his stoic and courageous grandmother.

:25:15. > :25:17.That is the consequence for mental health failure. It is simplx the

:25:18. > :25:22.difference between life and death and I do not think that young people

:25:23. > :25:26.like Simon should ever be f`iled in that way by services which should be

:25:27. > :25:33.there to keep them safe and well. This is not just about the public

:25:34. > :25:41.service provision, it is also about celebrating the work that the

:25:42. > :25:49.voluntary sector does. In mx constituency, I have visited a whole

:25:50. > :25:56.number of programmes, for example I visited audacious vegetable which

:25:57. > :26:01.involves people setting up their own enterprise, growing vegetables and

:26:02. > :26:06.selling them on. It is a wonderful project and runs in conjunction with

:26:07. > :26:11.another project which gets people with mental health outside `nd

:26:12. > :26:17.interacting with people and active. I cannot strongly recommend to the

:26:18. > :26:21.Minister enough the importance of social describing. Public policy

:26:22. > :26:26.does have a role to play. When Redbridge youth Council comlissioned

:26:27. > :26:34.one centre to design and deliver a play on mental health to shtn

:26:35. > :26:39.people, 5000 people across the area were engaged by that conversation

:26:40. > :26:43.about mental health. Music can have a powerful role in therapy `nd one

:26:44. > :26:49.of the most impressive projdcts I visited in the last 12 months was

:26:50. > :26:55.one sponsored by the London playing fields foundation run in conjunction

:26:56. > :26:59.with another foundation trust which got young people outside,

:27:00. > :27:00.interactive, developing thehr skills and most importantly their

:27:01. > :27:12.self-esteem. That brings me to the futurd, taking

:27:13. > :27:16.the policy in different dirdctions. I have looked at the funding formula

:27:17. > :27:24.for public health, and I hope that she will undertake to do th`t. But I

:27:25. > :27:29.want the Minister to work whth her colleagues about funding nationally,

:27:30. > :27:31.the Honourable member for Bdxhill, talked about joining up

:27:32. > :27:38.organisations particularly the NHS and I commend the approach for the

:27:39. > :27:48.accountable care organisations. That is bringing together the local

:27:49. > :27:53.authority with stakeholders from across the economy to join tp public

:27:54. > :28:02.provision. I think that will bear fruit. But we also need the

:28:03. > :28:10.government, joined up nationally. Fighting corners for public to

:28:11. > :28:15.become a money saver, because with horror department we can reduce

:28:16. > :28:20.accident emergency admissions, and the demand for primary care if we

:28:21. > :28:24.get funding right. But she `lso needs to make the case with the

:28:25. > :28:29.Secretary of State and other departments, for example it is no

:28:30. > :28:33.good the Treasury making cuts to local government if that le`ds the

:28:34. > :28:40.cut a public health funding, undermining the work that the

:28:41. > :28:46.department has been doing. Hf that leads to a spike in crime, Greater

:28:47. > :28:49.demand on the criminal justhce system, and with education ht is no

:28:50. > :28:58.good asking Ofsted to inspect schools about mental health

:28:59. > :29:06.provision, if school referr`ls are going unheard. And we cannot

:29:07. > :29:10.continue with this postcode lottery, with sexual and health educ`tion, I

:29:11. > :29:17.hope that we can revisit thd issue about PSHE. Finally, and most

:29:18. > :29:20.importantly, the reason that we are here, I am urging the Minister to

:29:21. > :29:25.listen to young people and the fact that the Minister is your this

:29:26. > :29:29.afternoon shows the importance that the government places on thhs

:29:30. > :29:35.report, and the views of yotng people. My great honourable friend

:29:36. > :29:38.talked about the importance of involving young people in the design

:29:39. > :29:43.of public services and that is absolutely critical. But thdy have

:29:44. > :29:46.also had a series of recommdndation that deserve the attention of the

:29:47. > :29:51.house and the response of government. And if that happens I

:29:52. > :29:57.think we will get better public policy, but hopefully a gendration

:29:58. > :30:03.of John people whose voice has been heard, and most importantly listen

:30:04. > :30:09.to. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. It is a pleasure to follow ly right

:30:10. > :30:14.honourable friend, the membdr for Ilford North. And I want to

:30:15. > :30:20.congratulate my great honourable friend, and the backbench committee

:30:21. > :30:24.for allowing this debate. I have got a new member of staff at

:30:25. > :30:36.Westminster, who only startdd with me last week. He's 18 going on 8.

:30:37. > :30:42.Cool, calm, collected. I have only seen him panic once so far, when he

:30:43. > :30:51.lost his hair gel. And by an amazing coincidence years from the village

:30:52. > :30:56.in south Wales where I was born I used to do judo with his mul. As I

:30:57. > :31:00.have said before, Madam Deptty Speaker, Wales is one big f`mily,

:31:01. > :31:10.that has advantages and disadvantages. In many ways, this is

:31:11. > :31:13.Matthew's maiden speech. He was a member of the youth Parliamdnt, and

:31:14. > :31:20.has been elected to represent Wales at the youth Parliament, in this

:31:21. > :31:28.chamber, on the 11th of Novdmber. The calibre of the debate is always

:31:29. > :31:34.exceptionally high, at times, even better than ours! I would urge all

:31:35. > :31:42.the right honourable member is to show support for the United Kingdom

:31:43. > :31:47.youth Parliament. Each year, the United Kingdom youth Parlialent

:31:48. > :31:53.holds a UK wide ballot, Makd your Mark. It allows young peopld to vote

:31:54. > :31:56.and campaign on issues important to them. The five campaigns with the

:31:57. > :32:06.most votes are being debated by members of the youth Parlialent at

:32:07. > :32:10.the annual sitting of this chamber. Matthew has asked that I th`nk the

:32:11. > :32:17.house following this opporttnity. In 2014, more than 90,000 votes cast,

:32:18. > :32:20.specifically to campaign for the improvement of mental health

:32:21. > :32:28.services. Following the deb`te, the youth Parliament voted to c`mpaign

:32:29. > :32:32.on youth mental health servhces It subsequently launched an enpuiry

:32:33. > :32:37.into mental health provision, publishing the report in November

:32:38. > :32:43.2000 15. Today, this report comes before the house for debate. What

:32:44. > :32:48.this report indicates, simply, that we have a lack of proper support for

:32:49. > :32:55.John people with mental health issues. Nearly 850,000 people aged

:32:56. > :33:02.between five and 16 suffering from a mental health issue. Clearlx, a need

:33:03. > :33:07.for good quality mental health provision. The fact that ovdr 9 ,000

:33:08. > :33:10.young people voted for this is the priority campaign is indicative of

:33:11. > :33:17.the standard of service, thd provision fallen far short than the

:33:18. > :33:21.standard of service inspectdd. It is not even the case that the service

:33:22. > :33:29.provided is good. But young people expect excellent. They deserve

:33:30. > :33:32.excellent. It is the case that the service simply substandard. In

:33:33. > :33:38.written evidence to the comlittee, youth Parliament members, and one

:33:39. > :33:45.young person in particular dxplained frustration. I quote... Aftdr a lot

:33:46. > :33:51.of deliberation, I decided to take myself to my GP. Searching for

:33:52. > :33:57.support. What you must remelber the amount of courage it takes to open

:33:58. > :34:00.up about mental health issuds. It is extremely difficult for somdone who

:34:01. > :34:08.is totally confused about what is going on in their life, to openly

:34:09. > :34:10.talk about having suicidal feelings, in a five minute appointment.

:34:11. > :34:19.Especially to somebody who feels like a complete stranger. I ended up

:34:20. > :34:28.returning to just print -- different GPs. But time and time again, I was

:34:29. > :34:32.refused help. It was seven visits before I eventually got the help

:34:33. > :34:41.that I needed. Seven times H retold the story. Seven times I was not

:34:42. > :34:52.sick enough. And I had to w`lk out of the soldiery, feeling crtshed

:34:53. > :35:00.under moralise. -- surgery. This young person, just 14. The stories

:35:01. > :35:07.from plundering the country, of substandard meetings with GPs, this

:35:08. > :35:12.report highlights the many `rea where improvements have to be made

:35:13. > :35:17.at the medical profession and Hill services. I would welcome that

:35:18. > :35:23.debate from the Minister. Btt we need not one single area th`t needs

:35:24. > :35:26.improvement, we need to improve the overall state of the servicds, for

:35:27. > :35:31.those suffering with mental health issues. We must also look at the

:35:32. > :35:39.education system and what role that has got to play in improving young

:35:40. > :35:42.people's mental health. The report thoroughly covers the educational

:35:43. > :35:48.curriculum, and suggest improvements to the personal, social and economic

:35:49. > :35:55.education. That would provide the most effective environment for

:35:56. > :35:58.mental-health education. Thdse have been broadly endorsed. One of the

:35:59. > :36:02.issues that has been raised time and time again by the youth Parliament,

:36:03. > :36:10.the need for the curriculum for life. To meet needs of young people,

:36:11. > :36:15.setting them up to succeed `nd not fail. This issue is so fund`mental

:36:16. > :36:23.to young people that had received the most votes in the Make xour

:36:24. > :36:33.Ballot. In the local authorhty area of Neath, around 2300 young people

:36:34. > :36:43.took part in this year's ballot I look forward to working with Neath

:36:44. > :36:45.youth members this year. Gohng back to the report, the findings of the

:36:46. > :36:51.select committee make it cldarer that the need for an all in

:36:52. > :36:54.composite approach to improving mental health and well-being is

:36:55. > :37:00.needed. The Department for Dducation has introduced character buhlding

:37:01. > :37:06.and resilience programmes, the report notes this is not thd best

:37:07. > :37:09.method of improving the well-being of young people, and instead

:37:10. > :37:15.proposes more training for teachers and academic staff. When taking

:37:16. > :37:21.evidence, the report specifhcally mentions that teachers feel that

:37:22. > :37:27.they, I quote, need more regular training about promoting positive

:37:28. > :37:33.mental health. The recommendation from the committee is that `s part

:37:34. > :37:39.of the content, for the initial teacher training, it should be

:37:40. > :37:45.mandated training for teachdrs for John people's mental health, with a

:37:46. > :37:52.focus on how to respond to ` young person who asks about mental health.

:37:53. > :37:58.How to spot problems and whdre to refer young people. The comlittee

:37:59. > :38:02.goes on to recommend the inclusion of a trained counsellor at `ll

:38:03. > :38:06.schools, and schools should make counselling services are av`ilable

:38:07. > :38:10.to all secondary school puphls. These recommendations that H am sure

:38:11. > :38:14.every member of the house is going to agree with. Today's debate has

:38:15. > :38:20.highlighted the vitally important work done by the youth Parlhament,

:38:21. > :38:24.the British youth Council and the select committee. All of thdm, I

:38:25. > :38:30.have commended in assisting young people to have voices heard.

:38:31. > :38:32.Recently, we have had multiple reports and initiatives, thd

:38:33. > :38:43.improvement or Hill services for young people, looking to get parity

:38:44. > :38:51.and esteem. But until that hs achieved, funding for young people's

:38:52. > :38:56.care should be equal to adutls. The campaign is going to go on. Young

:38:57. > :39:01.people are the future and it is our duty to ensure the success `nd will

:39:02. > :39:09.be in. My thanks to Matthew, great speech, and it is a pleasurd to work

:39:10. > :39:14.with you. Thank you Madam Ddputy Speaker. My apologies to thd house

:39:15. > :39:18.for missing the start of thhs debate, it started earlier than I

:39:19. > :39:25.anticipated, and I was sitthng on a bus at Millbank. Thank you Ladam

:39:26. > :39:30.Deputy Speaker for calling le to speak. Congratulations to mx right

:39:31. > :39:35.honourable friend for leading this debate, and for the backbench

:39:36. > :39:41.business committee for delivering this. I am speaking towards the end

:39:42. > :39:43.of the debate. I will try not to repeat the many excellent

:39:44. > :39:52.contributions that the right honourable member 's have already

:39:53. > :39:55.made. But like so many, I h`ve had parents contacting me in distress,

:39:56. > :40:03.about the lack of adequate services as children or increases. I have had

:40:04. > :40:09.one parent, so worried about her daughter, who is going to h`ve to

:40:10. > :40:17.spend yet another weekend, ht is not the first period of crisis that she

:40:18. > :40:22.has had, at the children's ward of the local hospital. No spechalist

:40:23. > :40:26.beds available. The children's ward is not a safe place for somdbody

:40:27. > :40:33.having a mental health crishs. It is not fair on the staff, and the

:40:34. > :40:42.children, to support her. She needed a specialist bed. But at London too

:40:43. > :40:46.few tier four beds. I had a novel distressing experience, a young man

:40:47. > :40:52.who needed to go to hospital urgently, but because of a

:40:53. > :41:00.disconnect between the police, Ambulance Services and of sdrvices,

:41:01. > :41:08.it took two attempts to draw him from his house, getting him to the

:41:09. > :41:14.safe place. It was added distress, worsening his already critical

:41:15. > :41:20.mental ill situation. We ard seeing some improvements locally, `nd to be

:41:21. > :41:28.fair, we have been promised added tier four beds, better joindd up

:41:29. > :41:33.thinking, but this is a small increase.

:41:34. > :41:41.The additional problem is the break in service when a child in crisis

:41:42. > :41:45.suffers further when they hht the 18th birthday, they lose ond set of

:41:46. > :41:50.services and the adult servhces may or may not pick up at the s`me place

:41:51. > :41:54.and this does not make it e`sy for the child, the family and those

:41:55. > :41:58.supporting her. I want to ghve credit to those who work in the

:41:59. > :42:03.public and voluntary sector who support and heal those young people.

:42:04. > :42:08.But whose job is being made difficult because of the difficult

:42:09. > :42:15.funding situation and lack of adequate joined up thinking. Like

:42:16. > :42:21.many members I want to thank the excellent work of the select

:42:22. > :42:30.committee, British youth Cotncil and many NYPDs across the country. I met

:42:31. > :42:36.one of these NYD look-mac and she told me about the history of how

:42:37. > :42:43.young people across the country voted mental health should be the

:42:44. > :42:47.top agenda issue for discussion among NYP and the top issue they

:42:48. > :42:51.wanted to bring to us. She said to me the future of tomorrow c`nnot

:42:52. > :42:55.possibly get to the stage where young people can rise to thdir full

:42:56. > :42:58.potential when they are being failed by this current generation, she

:42:59. > :43:04.means others. They lacked the support they need for mental health,

:43:05. > :43:10.every time we say we need more support, mental health servhces are

:43:11. > :43:16.simply get cut. One of the UK youth Parliamdnt's

:43:17. > :43:23.campaigns, the only come along once a year and we have to treat young

:43:24. > :43:27.people's demands seriously. She is contribute holding sessions and her

:43:28. > :43:34.school to promote more educ`tion in this matter and credits to her.

:43:35. > :43:38.Earlier this year in July I met a group of school heads, prim`ry and

:43:39. > :43:42.secondary school heads and dxpected them to raise with me the topics of

:43:43. > :43:47.funding, recruitment, retention and testing and they did so. Wh`t I did

:43:48. > :43:53.not expect is, equally important was the concern that the raised about

:43:54. > :43:58.children's mental health. The state of the services, the increasing

:43:59. > :44:04.incidence of mental health problems, self harming, destructive bdhaviour

:44:05. > :44:08.and so on. They're feeling of inadequacy and been able to support

:44:09. > :44:11.those children because they cannot get those children through `

:44:12. > :44:17.good-quality education systdm and get them ready for the world of work

:44:18. > :44:20.and higher education, they cannot do that if they are not able to support

:44:21. > :44:27.those people with better mental health support. What they s`id was

:44:28. > :44:34.the capacity is overstretchdd, they are long waiting lists. Thex have

:44:35. > :44:38.real concerns about inadequ`te early intervention, they said there are

:44:39. > :44:43.more children who are vulnerable and the reasons are many and varied

:44:44. > :44:49.mistreatment at home, more families in chaotic circumstances, more

:44:50. > :44:53.families living in uncertain and insecure and poor quality housing.

:44:54. > :44:58.That combined with austeritx, particularly in terms of paxment of

:44:59. > :45:03.benefits, tax credits and so on most of our families are working,

:45:04. > :45:10.most parents are working, btt they have suffered as a result of the

:45:11. > :45:15.changes in benefits and tax credits system so many families cannot find

:45:16. > :45:22.enough money to pay the rent and put food on the table and this stress

:45:23. > :45:27.impacts on children. It could - it couldn't not impact on them. The

:45:28. > :45:31.head of Kingsley Academy, only in the school one year, she sahd she

:45:32. > :45:39.has already seen three of hdr children section. Children self

:45:40. > :45:46.harming and is not enough stpport and the social work team cannot cope

:45:47. > :45:50.either. We have solutions. Lost our schools, should either the xouth

:45:51. > :45:54.counselling service to deliver counselling or the employed in-house

:45:55. > :46:02.counsel was. Strand on the dream runs a programme which combhnes a

:46:03. > :46:06.therapy and art and is very successful but that is no ftnding

:46:07. > :46:14.left to allow it to continud indefinitely. So their conclusion

:46:15. > :46:17.was not enough is being dond in terms of support. We have an

:46:18. > :46:23.excellent youth counselling service that serves the Borough of Hounslow

:46:24. > :46:26.and has done for many years. Their councillors believe stronglx

:46:27. > :46:33.Government cuts have led to the increased need for counsellhng.

:46:34. > :46:42.There is less money for entry level, early entry criteria such as Tier

:46:43. > :46:45.one and whether those pull outs that means other members, as othdr

:46:46. > :46:51.members said, young people `re entering the service in crisis

:46:52. > :46:56.living Tier three and four services which are very expensive. Hounslow

:46:57. > :47:01.youth Council, like many, Izzy Tier one service, it is there to provide

:47:02. > :47:06.initial counselling -- is a pure one service. It is not a therapdutic

:47:07. > :47:10.service and is not funded to be and does not have those professhonal

:47:11. > :47:16.advisers. Often it is the only place young people can come to because the

:47:17. > :47:21.higher-level services will not see that young person for many weeks and

:47:22. > :47:25.often months. What they're saying is Nvidha

:47:26. > :47:32.services skilled and experidnced staff are replaced with less skilled

:47:33. > :47:36.and experienced staff -- skhlled and experienced staff. There is no sign

:47:37. > :47:40.of the increase in young people requiring counselling slowing so

:47:41. > :47:44.further cuts could worsen the situation. How youth counselling is

:47:45. > :47:49.a voluntary service organis`tion, funded mainly from local government

:47:50. > :47:54.and the NHS, who themselves are cutting back on supporting the

:47:55. > :47:56.voluntary sector as their own funding is cut back. Yet thd youth

:47:57. > :48:01.counselling service say thex are likely to see upward of 3000 young

:48:02. > :48:06.people per year and it is going to get their ability to grow as an

:48:07. > :48:10.organisation to meet that pressure is highly unlikely. That me`ns that

:48:11. > :48:13.the waiting lists will get longer, that means longer for young people

:48:14. > :48:19.who are referred by schools or patents or themselves, they have to

:48:20. > :48:23.wait longer. Our experience and our Buddha

:48:24. > :48:29.reflects what others have ddscribed in this debate. -- in our borough.

:48:30. > :48:36.Ever greater pressures from social media, family, pulsing, and identity

:48:37. > :48:40.questions. Services are alrdady stretched with some physical

:48:41. > :48:46.uncertain futures as cuts are made and many services are closing. A

:48:47. > :48:50.lack of early intervention, different services having dhfferent

:48:51. > :48:53.priorities, reports of decommissioning early intervention

:48:54. > :48:58.services as a result of redtction in social services and spending. We

:48:59. > :49:05.could do things differently, it is not just funding although that is,

:49:06. > :49:11.we cannot not discuss funding but there are other issues and ly

:49:12. > :49:14.friends back from North Durham made a suggestion -based experiences of

:49:15. > :49:20.the Armed Forces covenant sdt up under the Labour Government, it was

:49:21. > :49:26.led Cabinet level. The conclusions and programme of the Armed Forces

:49:27. > :49:30.covenant was filtered through a range of services down to local

:49:31. > :49:34.government. I was accountable and Hounslow and we adopted this

:49:35. > :49:40.covenant and that meant it filtered through into several of our services

:49:41. > :49:45.and priorities. Could we not do the same for children's mental health?

:49:46. > :49:50.In conclusion, as many membdrs have said we need to do more as ` country

:49:51. > :49:54.and the Government must lead. We must do better, we must listen to

:49:55. > :49:59.young people, we must delivdr joined up services, we must deliver them

:50:00. > :50:02.early and by doing that we save money, but more importantly, we save

:50:03. > :50:09.our young people's future. Thank you.

:50:10. > :50:13.It is a privilege to take p`rt in the debate today. May start by

:50:14. > :50:16.thanking the business committee for selecting it an extent I pr`ise for

:50:17. > :50:21.the select committee for thhs excellent report on young pdople's

:50:22. > :50:25.mental health. He genuinely superb summary of the situation backed up

:50:26. > :50:32.with sensible recommendations. The welcome contribution. The ddtails of

:50:33. > :50:35.which have already been outlined by the member and may I say I `gree

:50:36. > :50:39.wholeheartedly this is a debate about resources and the fralework

:50:40. > :50:44.for their use. I also agree the current situation is not acceptable.

:50:45. > :50:49.The man for services are indeed increasing. I thank the member for a

:50:50. > :50:54.clear explanation of the case and some powerful statistics. The

:50:55. > :50:58.importance of this issue to young people is illustrated by it

:50:59. > :51:01.repeatedly chosen as a priority campaign of the youth Parli`ment and

:51:02. > :51:05.voted for in the British yotth Council. It has also been stbject of

:51:06. > :51:13.research in the Scottish yotth Parliament titled Our Gener`tion's

:51:14. > :51:17.Epidemic. They have clearly and intelligently and repeatedlx told us

:51:18. > :51:23.and as politicians it is incumbent upon us to address the concdrns

:51:24. > :51:32.highlighted and facts mentioned already today by several melbers

:51:33. > :51:37.that more than half of ment`l health, mental ill-health, starts

:51:38. > :51:41.before the age of 14 illustrates the seriousness of the issue. I am

:51:42. > :51:45.grateful to the member for Hyde Park for illustrating the risk of the

:51:46. > :51:50.issue go unnoticed and undi`gnosed and highlighting the generational

:51:51. > :51:54.gap technology has developed and the issue of cyber bullying. I `m sure I

:51:55. > :52:00.am not alone in this chamber in being clad, youthful teenagd years

:52:01. > :52:03.are not preserved for posterity on the internet. As well as