Heidi gave an impassioned speech in the House of Commons today during the Opposition Day Debate on Mental Health.
Recalling the day she received a letter from her constituent, Steve Mallen, Heidi spoke about the work being carried out in South Cambridgeshire and by the MindEd Trust founded by Steve following the tragic death of his son Ed earlier this year.
Heidi's speech (there's a link below to the debate):
"If I may, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to ask you to cast your mind back to the summer. As a new MP, I was sitting on the grass on a Sunday reading through my casework.
There were many of the usual items of correspondence on housing, planning and so on – and then a letter, and a moment I will never forget. It was from a constituent, Steve Mallen, telling me about the tragic suicide of his 18-year-old son – a brilliant, gifted young man with Grade 8 piano, straight A*s at A-level and a place reserved at Cambridge University.
Ten months ago today, Edward Mallen took his own life in front of a train.
'Mental health' – they are not dirty words. We all have a state of mental health, just as we all have a state of physical health. We have good days and we have bad days. We all have them, every one of us. For most of us, the good days follow the bad days and overcome them, but tragically this did not happen for Edward.
Today I want to talk about what we in this Chamber can do to make sure that there are no more Edwards.
Members will know I want this House to work together to resolve problems, not to point fingers at failure.
So I urge those in all parts of the House to recognise the good work that has been done so far and to commit, from this day, to working together to achieve more.
I believe that we are building on the foundations laid by the tremendous work of Norman Lamb [the Member for North Norfolk and the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Health] and the Health and Social Care Act 2012. We have seen investment of £1.25 billion to help deliver the Future in Mind Initiative, the appointment of Sam Gyimah [the member for East Surrey], and the appointment of Natasha Devon as the Department for Education’s first schools mental health champion – and boy, what a fireball she is!
Only this week, we had the announcement of a £3 million pilot programme to support mental health leaders in schools across the country. Given that 10% of children under 16 have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem, and 75% of all mental illness predates higher education, we are focusing on the right things.
Prevention is far better than a cure, because by the time a cure comes, families, communities and the wider economy have been devastated.
Ask Steve Mallen, his family and the village of Meldreth, because they know. We could argue all day about whether the government is spending enough on the cure, but I do not want us to do that.
That is fundamental and there should be no alternative. [Intervention] The hon. gentleman is absolutely right.
Nobody doubts the need to improve mental health care or the fact money does not grow on trees. Investment is increasing, but I fear the scale of the problem is far greater than any government chequebook.
It is so much bigger than that – but the good news is we are capable of being bigger than that, too. Let us cast aside party politics and make this our issue, not just the government’s issue.
In South Cambridgeshire, we are pooling together the resources of schools, world-leading academics, mental health charities, business, local authorities, politicians and parents – everyone – to do things differently.
With Steve and the memory of his son, Edward, at the helm, we want to roll out a timetabled early intervention and prevention programme in every single one of our schools.
We are trialling and developing it, and in March next year we will launch it at an international conference in Cambridge, which Alistair Burt [the Member for North East Bedfordshire and Minister of State for Community and Social Care at the Department of Health] has kindly committed to attend.
I have no doubt of the personal dedication of our Ministers, for they have proved it to me and, more importantly, to Steve Mallen.
If Members are undertaking similar work in their constituencies, or if they want to join our project, I urge them to talk to me. If we have learned one thing about mental health, it is that we need to talk about it.
The answer is simply not about cash; it is about partnership working, and I urge every Member of this House to join in this fight together. Let us take the responsibility."
CLICK HERE for the video of Heidi's speech on 9th December – it's from www.parliamentlive.tv and is of the entire day's business; fast forward to 15.07 when Heidi stands up to speak.
And CLICK HERE for Heidi's interview with Jo Coburn on BBC1's Sunday Politics on 6th December – her first interview on national TV since her maiden speech in the House of Commons in October when she criticised the proposed changes to Tax Credits, contributing to a volte face by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement in November.
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Heidi Allen MP
South Cambridgeshire
153 St Neots Road
Hardwick
CB23 7QJ
Phone
01954 212 707
E-mail
heidi.allen.mp@parliament.uk
Twitter
@heidiallen75
Website
www.heidisouthcambs.co.uk
YouTube
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=heidi+allen+mp
Voting record in Parliament
www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/25348/heidi_allen/south_cambridgeshire