We recommend that by the end of this year, 2023: a) DEFRA and DHSC, working with all relevant public health, environmental and first responder stakeholders, assess the readiness of local plans for crisis events, and commence consultations on upgrading local preparedness for rural populations’ mental health, and b) HM Treasury, DHSC, DEFRA and NHS England review current emergency funding mechanisms and how these can be improved by establishing a dedicated Rural Mental Health 81 funding stream, to enable local areas to quickly access more resources to respond to rural communities’ mental health needs during and, crucially, after crisis events. (Paragraph 156) Addressing mental health in government policy and regulation