The Liberal Democrats have proposed increasing taxes on social media giants like Facebook, Google, and Amazon to fund mental health professionals for all state schools in England if they win the general election. This move aims to address the significant mental health challenges faced by children and young people in the country.
The plan involves tripling the amount these companies pay in Digital Services Tax to create a new workforce of mental health professionals. With nearly 340,000 children and young people currently on waiting lists for mental health services, the need for additional support is urgent.
Under the Liberal Democrat proposal, state-funded school governing bodies would be responsible for providing access to qualified mental health practitioners or school counselors, funded by the central government. Smaller schools could share access to these professionals if they have fewer than 100 pupils.
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey emphasized the importance of addressing the mental health crisis among children and criticized the current situation where many are left waiting for treatment. The party plans to finance this initiative by taxing social media giants, which they argue contribute to the problem.
The Digital Services Tax, introduced in 2020, targets large multinational enterprises operating social media services, online search engines, or online marketplaces for UK consumers. By trebling the tax rate, the Liberal Democrats aim to raise an additional £1.5 billion to fund mental health support in schools.
In response, the Conservative Minister for Mental Health highlighted their efforts to increase training places for mental health nursing. Labour’s health secretary stated their commitment to putting mental health support in every school and community hub, funded by abolishing tax breaks for private schools.
