Thread by @LibDems

But we can’t stop there.

Because, as all parents know, the impact of Covid on our children goes far beyond the learning they have lost.

We worry about the effect this pandemic has had on their emotional development too. Their mental health and wellbeing.

@EdwardJDavey #LDConf

@EdwardJDavey For every five children who need mental health treatment, three of them are unable to access it.

And some have to travel hundreds of miles to get it.

We wouldn’t tolerate it for children's physical health, and we mustn’t tolerate it for their mental health either.

@EdwardJDavey That is a profound failure – not just by the Conservative Government in Westminster, but also the Nationalists in Scotland and Labour in Wales.

They are neglecting our children on an industrial scale.

As part of our fair deal, we need to change that.

@EdwardJDavey We must expand access to mental health treatment for children and young people.

With new maximum waiting times, to build on the first ever targets for mental health introduced by Norman Lamb. And by recruiting and training more psychiatrists to deliver them.

@EdwardJDavey And, crucially, we should put a dedicated, qualified mental health professional in every school.

So every child and every parent has someone they can turn to for help.