Mental Health Report

Liberal Democrats welcome the Mental Health Taskforce Report which looks to revolutionise our mental health services and bring an end to discrimination.

Critically, it endorses the plan to introduce comprehensive maximum waiting time standards in mental health. Mental health was left out of maximum waiting time standards when they were introduced by Labour over a decade ago. The Liberal Democrats introduced the first ever waiting time standards in mental health – but until there are comprehensive rights to get treatment on time, discrimination against those with mental illness will continue.

It is excellent news that the Taskforce has recommended that out-of-area mental health placements are eliminated entirely. Too often people with mental illness are shunted across the country as a result of bed pressures in local hospitals, and Norman Lamb MP has repeatedly called on the Government to bring an end to this practice.

It is essential that the Government makes sure that these recommendations are properly funded and delivered in full.

However, while the Government says it will commit an extra £1bn for mental health by 2020, it’s not clear how much of this money is new. There is a suspicion that this is recycling money made in previous announcements, while the rest will be taken from other parts of the system with no money to spare. We need complete transparency on where this money is coming from, how much of it is new, and how and when it will be spent.

Housing

Liberal Democrat peers will protect social housing by blocking controversial plans in the government’s Housing and Planning Bill.

Controversial plans in the Bill, which Liberal Democrat peers hope to curb include the imposition of starter homes, Pay to Stay, the extension of Right to Buy and the end of lifetime tenancies.

These four are among around 100 amendments published today to the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill.

The Liberal Democrats have moved to strike out Pay to Stay altogether, while Labour has put forward amendments to water down the policy.

Pay to Stay will see  families or individuals with a total income of £40,000 plus a year in London, and £30,000 plus outside the capital, forced to pay the rental market rate. The increase of which will go to the Treasury rather than local councils.