In the Seventh Senedd, mental health has come up mostly in statements, questions and committee sessions. Deputy Minister Delyth Jewell (Plaid Cymru) set out plans for same-day access, suicide prevention and neurodivergent support. Reform UK Members pressed on waiting times and suicide. Members from other parties raised children's services, farmers, neurodivergence and perinatal care.
The main arguments
Delyth Jewell (Plaid Cymru) said she will oversee a move to open-access, same-day mental health support. NHS Wales Performance and Improvement is developing a clinical plan, and she will review progress in September. Contributions: [1][2]
Gareth Thomas (Reform UK), a practising psychologist, said Wales lacks a protected share of the NHS budget for mental health and that adults and neurodivergent people wait months or years. Jewell said therapy waits are not where they need to be.
Llŷr Powell (Reform UK) asked for an update on the suicide prevention strategy and action on male suicide. Jewell said a written statement would follow, focused on male suicide, and cited work with the national suicide prevention research centre. Contributions: [1][2][3]
On neurodivergence, Sera Evans (Plaid Cymru) asked how funding is aligned. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) cited a cross-government improvement programme. Paul Davies (Welsh Conservatives) asked about legislation; the First Minister said it can be discussed but action cannot wait. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
On children and young people, Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) urged early parent-infant support. Lynne Neagle (Welsh Labour) defended Flying Start's parenting role. Darren Millar (Welsh Conservatives) raised a statutory school phone ban. Contributions: [1][2][3]
On farmers, Paul Davies and Andrew RT Davies (Welsh Conservatives) linked bovine TB to distress and suicide. Adrian Mason (Reform UK) asked how isolated farmers are reached. Llyr Gruffydd (Plaid Cymru) cited Farmwell Wales and a social services grant. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Where the parties stand
Plaid CymruShifted
In government, Plaid Cymru Members set out same-day mental health access, a new clinical plan, a written statement on male suicide prevention, and a whole-system approach to neurodivergence including shorter children's assessment waits. Contributions: [1][2][3]
How this has shifted: In May and June, ministers spoke of a mental health agenda and a Deputy Minister role. By July, the Deputy Minister gave specific plans and a September review.
Welsh Labour
Welsh Labour Members asked about university mental health liaison roll-out (Lynne Neagle), parent-infant support through Flying Start (Neagle), and health visitors' perinatal role (Vikki Howells). Jayne Bryant noted mental health was missing from one statement. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Welsh Conservatives
Welsh Conservative Members raised autism legislation (Paul Davies), farmer mental health and TB (Paul Davies, Andrew RT Davies), school phones and mental health (Darren Millar), and mental health access for people with Huntington's disease (Natasha Asghar). Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Reform UK
Reform UK Members pressed on waiting times and funding (Gareth Thomas), male suicide (Llŷr Powell), farmers' isolation (Adrian Mason) and delays for children needing ALN support (Tom Montgomery). Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Welsh Liberal Democrats
Jane Dodds emphasised early intervention: infant mental health and parent-infant support, nutrition in the first 1,000 days, and gambling harms support after suicides linked to gambling. Contributions: [1][2][3]
What the government is being pressed on
1How will same-day access be explained and measured, and how will waits of up to years come down? Gareth Thomas asked. Jewell said the aim is same-day access with minimal referrals, and promised to prioritise therapy waits. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
2What more is being done on suicide prevention, especially for men, and is there a 24-hour NHS phone line? Jewell cited NHS 111 press 2, awareness campaigns and a forthcoming written statement. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
3Will the Government legislate for autistic people? Paul Davies asked. Rhun ap Iorwerth said legislation can still be discussed, but cross-government action cannot wait for a legislative window. Contributions: [1][2]
4What support reaches isolated farmers? Adrian Mason asked. Llyr Gruffydd said officials work with local authority advice services, a social services grant funds befriending, and Farmwell Wales offers online support. Contributions: [1][2]
5Can a Call for Concern be raised for postpartum psychosis or suicidal thoughts? Gareth Thomas asked. Jewell said acute psychiatric problems would be covered and the scheme should complement existing support. Contributions: [1][2]
What the public is asking for
Petitions ask for reform of the ASD/ADHD pathway (562 signatures), stronger autism codes (381), an all-Wales pathway between private and NHS neurodevelopmental care (190), an independent review of patient safety in acute mental-health crises (132), and recognition of profound autism (129).
Who ministers are meeting
Ministers have met a mental health assurance board, the NHS Director of Mental Health and the Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum, one meeting each.
In the Sixth Senedd (2021 to 2026)
From the previous Senedd's record, for issues that run across both. The rest of this analysis covers the Seventh Senedd only.
In 2024, the Sixth Senedd debated new mental health and suicide prevention strategies, failures in Betsi Cadwaladr mental health services, and rising neurodevelopmental waits. Ministers stressed prevention and not medicalising distress. Opposition Members pressed on data, pace of change and waiting lists.
In February 2024, Lynne Neagle (Welsh Labour) launched draft mental health and suicide prevention strategies, saying mental health should not be medicalised. Mabon ap Gwynfor (Plaid Cymru) called for a perinatal focus. Contributions: [1][2][3]
In June 2024, Mabon ap Gwynfor said over half of 84 reviewed recommendations on Betsi Cadwaladr mental health services showed little or only some evidence of implementation. Gareth Davies (Welsh Conservatives) also criticised the pace. Contributions: [1][2]
In May 2024, after Jayne Bryant (Welsh Labour) made a mental health statement, Mabon ap Gwynfor called for a robust national mental health data set and transparent indicators. Contributions: [1][2]
In November 2024, Janet Finch-Saunders (Welsh Conservatives) cited rising ADHD and autism waits in Betsi Cadwaladr. Eluned Morgan (Welsh Labour) said the pathway needed redesign and cited a service redesign event. Contributions: [1][2]
Written by AI on 23 October 2026 from 121 contributions in the Senedd between 19 May 2026 and 19 October 2026, with the petitions and ministers' meetings on this brief. Each point links to the contributions it draws on; check them before quoting. How the analysis is written.
Where things stand
Statistics published by the Welsh Government. Each chart covers the years since the 2016 Senedd election, or as far back as the figures go, and marks each election since.
Mental health assessments within 28 days
83.7%
June 2026
A year earlier
83.8%(June 2025)
Before the 2026 election
81.5%(April 2026)
The share of assessments by local primary mental health support services carried out within 28 days of referral, each month, for people of all ages.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board couldn't send figures for August 2022 to March 2023, so its July 2022 figures were repeated in each of those months, and the Wales figures for them partly repeat old data.
Source: Welsh Government, Programme for government 2026 to 2030: New ambition for Wales, first published on 10 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Mentions are found by matching the names of plans, bodies and schemes; a mention says nothing about progress.
From the Welsh Government
The Welsh Government's latest press releases and Cabinet statements on this brief.
Each bar is the share of that party's speeches and questions in the Sixth Senedd that touched this brief, so large and small parties can be compared. The upright line marks the chamber as a whole: 1.8%.
Ministers' meetings with outside organisations and their engagements on this brief, from the register the Welsh Government publishes every three months. 3 since the 2026 election; the latest:
2 September 2026
Meeting with Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum
Meeting, Min MHWB
1 June 2026
GIG, Cyfarwyddwr dros Iechyd Meddwl / Director of Mental Health, NHS
Meeting, Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
21 May 2026
Bwrdd Sicrwydd Iechyd Meddwl
/ Mental Health Assurance Board
Meeting, Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Tagged for: “mental well-being”Translated from WelshOfficial Record
Month by month
166
39
2023202420252026
Contributions tagged in each month of the Sixth Senedd. No sittings were held in August 2023, September 2023, October 2023, November 2023, December 2023, December 2024, February 2025, March 2025, April 2025, May 2025, June 2025, July 2025, August 2025, September 2025, October 2025, November 2025 and December 2025.Show the numbers
Month
Contributions
July 2023
0
August 2023
No sittings
September 2023
No sittings
October 2023
No sittings
November 2023
No sittings
December 2023
No sittings
January 2024
123
February 2024
146
March 2024
82
April 2024
99
May 2024
90
June 2024
115
July 2024
43
August 2024
0
September 2024
34
October 2024
166
November 2024
56
December 2024
No sittings
January 2025
How this brief is put together
This brief follows the Programme commitments listed above and tags the record with the phrases below. Keyword matching can miss business that discusses the issue in other words, and can tag a passing mention.
Show the phrases it uses
A contribution is tagged when its English text contains one of these phrases. Capital letters don't matter, except in abbreviations, which must match exactly. It is also tagged when the title of the agenda item or question it was part of contains one, as long as the contribution is at least 30 words long. The brief is also tagged whenever one of its themes is.
