Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:39 pm on 24 March 2021.
That was a very comprehensive answer, Minister. Can I also take the opportunity to commend Jack Sargeant for the huge amount of work he's done in this area of mental health, which is so important, particularly during the months of the pandemic and lockdown? It was a pleasure previously working with Jack's father, Carl Sargeant, in the Senedd on a range of issues. He was passionate about those issues and I'm pleased to see that Jack has carried on in the same vein in championing issues that really matter to the people out there in our communities.
Minister, it's likely, as you've just hinted at, that we're going to see an increase in the number of people needing community mental health support for those suffering anxiety and depression, as one of the significant public health consequences of the pandemic, and it looks like that could go on for a considerable length of time, and at considerable cost. What discussions have you had with the vice-chairs of local health boards across Wales, or, indeed, with the health Minister, liaising with those health boards—those who are responsible for community mental health and primary care—to ensure that local NHS services are going to get the focus they need? Because clearly they've not just been under strain during this pandemic, they're going to be under strain for some considerable time to come, trying to cope with the aftermath of this challenging time.