All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health
Name	All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health
Formation	1970s
Type	All-party parliamentary group
Headquarters	London
Location	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chair
Leader name	(varies)

Contents

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health is an all-party parliamentary group in the United Kingdom focused on mental health issues, cross-party collaboration and legislative scrutiny. The group engages with stakeholders such as the National Health Service, Department of Health and Social Care, Care Quality Commission, NHS England and charitable organisations including Mind (charity), Rethink Mental Illness and Samaritans to inform debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It operates within the context of parliamentary practice influenced by entities such as the Public Accounts Committee, the Select Committee on Health and Social Care, the King's Speech and legislative processes including the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Care Act 2014.

History

The group traces its origins to cross-party activism in the 1970s and 1980s involving figures from the Labour Party, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, with early engagement from organisations such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Medical Association. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it intersected with high-profile events like the introduction of the Mental Health Act 2007, inquiries associated with the Stillbirth Summit and responses to crises highlighted by the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition and campaigns led by notable personalities linked to the Prince of Wales patronage and advocacy from members of the House of Lords. In the 2010s and 2020s the group worked alongside reform initiatives tied to NHS Long Term Plan, the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, and scrutiny prompted by reports from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Public Health England directorates.

The group's stated purposes include influencing legislation, advising on policy implementation, and raising the profile of mental health across parliamentary business; it engages with professional bodies such as the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing and regulatory bodies like the Care Quality Commission. Objectives extend to shaping provision frameworks referenced by agencies including NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, charity partners like Mind (charity), research funders such as the National Institute for Health Research and academic institutions including University College London and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. The group seeks to connect parliamentary actors from the House of Commons and the House of Lords with sector leaders from organisations like Rethink Mental Illness, Samaritans, YoungMinds, Centre for Mental Health and professional associations including the British Psychological Society.

Membership comprises MPs and peers from political parties represented in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, with chairs historically drawn from the Labour Party, the Conservative Party or the Liberal Democrats. The group's secretariat has been supported by partner organisations, professional bodies such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists and charities like Mind (charity) and Rethink Mental Illness, and interacts with parliamentary offices including the Library of the House of Commons and the Parliamentary Digital Service. Governance arrangements mirror other APPGs in coordination with the House of Commons Commission, standards set by the Committee on Standards and transparency expectations influenced by the Electoral Commission and the Cabinet Office guidance on external engagement.

Activities include evidence sessions, roundtables, public hearings and inquiries drawing witnesses from academic centres such as King's College London, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and research institutes like the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Nuffield Trust. The group has convened inquiries addressing issues connected to the Mental Capacity Act 2005, children's services referenced by Ofsted, perinatal mental health linked to NHS England initiatives, suicide prevention campaigns connected to Samaritans and workforce pressures discussed with the Royal College of Nursing and British Medical Association. Events often feature contributions from charities such as YoungMinds, think tanks including the Institute of Public Policy Research and the Policy Exchange, and regulatory testimony from the Care Quality Commission and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The group publishes reports, briefings and recommendations that have fed into debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords and informed amendments to legislation such as changes associated with the Mental Health Act 1983 and guidance linked to the NHS Long Term Plan. Publications have cited research from institutions including University College London, King's College London, the Nuffield Trust and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and have been used by select committees like the Public Accounts Committee and the Health and Social Care Select Committee to press for system reforms. Outputs frequently reference collaborations with charities and advocacy organisations including Mind (charity), Rethink Mental Illness, Samaritans and Centre for Mental Health and have influenced policy proposals discussed by ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care and spokespeople across the Labour Party, Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats.

Funding and governance arrangements involve a mix of member subscriptions, secretariat support from partner organisations such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists and charitable sponsorship from entities including Mind (charity) and Rethink Mental Illness, subject to the House of Commons rules on APPG transparency and registers administered by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. The group must declare interests consistent with guidance from the Committee on Standards, the Cabinet Office's transparency frameworks and reporting expectations informed by the Electoral Commission and the Information Commissioner's Office. Oversight and external audit practices align with parliamentary administration standards set by the House of Commons Commission and public accountability norms invoked by the National Audit Office.

Category:All-party parliamentary groups