Timpson labels progress on children's mental health 'unsatisfactory'

Appearing before the joint education and health select committee, which is conducting an inquiry into the role of education in children and young people's mental health, Timpson admitted far more needs to be done to improve support on offer, despite ongoing government efforts.

The government has committed £1.4bn in funding to improve mental health provision for children and young people up to 2020, although the commitment has been marred by concerns that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are siphoning off this money to backfill cuts or spend on other priorities.

When asked by committee chair Neil Carmichael whether he was satisfied with progress so far, Timpson said: "No."

"I'm never satisfied with progress on such an important issue as this," he said.

"In many ways, whether it is government, public institutions more generally or society at large, [we are] coming to terms with what is a greater level of understanding and awareness of [mental health issues].

"It has been kept under wraps by way of the societal norms that pervaded but are now starting to open up, and we have to respond to that."

Timpson added that he hoped the government's forthcoming green paper on children and young people's mental health, which was announced by Prime Minister Theresa May in January, will ensure the pace of improvement speeds up.