Youth Select Committee calls for evidence on Mental Health

The Youth Select Committee today announces a new inquiry into mental health, to explore issues around awareness, education and services for young people (under 25) and is calling for evidence from a wide range of witnesses, including experts, parliamentarians and young campaigners. The Youth Select Committee (YSC) is a British Youth Council initiative, supported by the House of Commons. The eleven committee members are aged 13-18 and include two Members of the UK Youth Parliament (MYPs), two youth councillors, a Young Mayor, one elected representative from each of the devolved nations and three reserved seats.

Rhys Hart, Chair of the Youth Select Committee (18, MYP for Shropshire – pictured above), said:””Mental Health is a sensitive and important topic for young people, ranging from stress to suicide and school support to hospitalisation. To investigate this, the Youth Select Committee will need to demonstrate care and capability in its approach. I am absolutely positive that we will create an extensive and strong report fed by diverse pieces of evidence to be able to develop considered recommendations to the government”.

The Youth Select Committee will look at the three themes of awareness, education and services as part of its inquiry.

The Committee call for evidence closes at noon on 22nd May 2015 and the Youth Select Committee will hold oral evidence sessions in the House of Commons in June and July 2015.

Mental health was chosen as the subject for the inquiry by the British Youth Council following the UK Youth Parliament voting the topic as a priority campaign at its annual sitting in the House of Commons on November 2014, and BYC members voting on it to be an Election Campaign priority for the 2015-2020 Parliament. It was also a top five topic in the Make Your Mark youth referendum of 876,000 young people balloted across the UK.

The 2014 Youth Select Committee inquiry into “votes at 16” included written and oral evidence sessions and a final report with government response. Find out more about the 2014 enquiry here.

Interested groups or individuals are encouraged to submit written evidence to the inquiry. Written evidence should be received by the Committee no later than 12 pm on 22 May2015. The questions which written evidence should address are available via this page.

Please contact the inquiry team on bycyouthselect@parliament.uk