We are extremely concerned about the waiting time for children to receive support for mental health issues and about the proportion of adolescent girls seeking help. A survey found nearly 1 in 5 of 6- to 16-year-olds in England had a probable mental health disorder in 2021. The same survey also found that almost 40% had experienced a deterioration in mental health since 2017. In addition, 13.5% of 11- to 16-year-olds felt their lives had been made ‘much worse’ by COVID-19 restrictions. But support is not meeting children’s need and some children with mental health issues have had to wait a very long time to start treatment. In 2020–21 the average waiting time for children to start treatment for their mental health issues at different health bodies ranged from 6 days to 81 days, with more than 22,000 (5%) of children and young people waiting more than 12 weeks. The proportion of adolescent girls known to be in contact with secondary mental health services is far greater than for boys. For example, 18% of 16-year-old-girls are in contact with secondary mental health services, compared to 11% for boys. The Department for Education tells us there has been additional funding, some of which is particularly focused around eating disorder services, because it had seen the waiting lists for those rise and a pandemic-related impact, particularly on young girls. There has also been an NHS England consultation, which closed early in 2022, on introducing waiting time standards for access to community and A&E mental health care. However, we are yet to see these standards implemented. Recommendation: Government should report back to the Committee within six months on progress on the implementation of access standards for community and A&E mental health care.