7. Question No. 7—HealthMATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 7—Health7. MATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri) to the Minister of Health: How much of the $455 million for the Government's new frontline mental health service announced in Budget 2019 has been spent to date and how many of the 22 delivery sites identified in his ANZAC Day press release were providing these services before the Government announced its new frontline mental health services in Budget 2019?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): As the member knows the $455 million investment in Budget 2019 was over four years with spending ramping up over time as new workforces are trained and new services are developed. I'm advised that as of 30 April approximately $20 million has been spent despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. This is part of the continuation of services that were previously being trialled at 22 sites giving them certainty of funding for the first time. It also includes some funding for the next stage of the roll-out which is seeing new services established in 100 new sites by the middle of next year serving a population of 1.5 million people. As the member will be aware additional funding was also allocated and spent for the psychosocial response to COVID.Matt Doocey: So is the Minister telling the House today after announcing almost half a billion dollars in Budget 2019 for his new flagship front-line mental health service—SPEAKER: Order! Order!Matt Doocey: —he has only—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. The member will ask a question. Matt Doocey: Is the Minister telling the House today after promising almost half a billion dollars he has only spent $20 million to date?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The flagship policy is of course rolling out over five years as I explained to the member both in the Budget—it's in the Budget documents—and also recently in debates in this House. There are now services being delivered in around 40 practices across 11 DHBs with more to come. It's quite impressive how quickly these things have rolled out. By the middle of next year 1.5 million New Zealanders will have access to these services and that's on top of the other new programmes that this Government has delivered including Mana Ake which has helped more than 5000 primary- and intermediate-age children in Canterbury and Kaikōura; Piki which is providing free mental health and wellbeing support to 18- to 24-year-olds in Wellington and Wairarapa; more nurses in schools and so on. A number of new services have also been stood up as a part of this Government's response. This is a Government that takes mental health seriously.Matt Doocey: If the Minister is impressed by how quickly the service has been rolled out how come he told the House today that the 22 sites his mental health service is being delivered for were being delivered before his announcement—so in the last year he has delivered a net gain of zero new sites?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The member might want to look more closely at my answer. By the middle of next year 1.5 million people will have access to new services. Currently there are 40 sites delivering those services; that is not a net increase of zero.Matt Doocey: If the Minister allocated just under $50 million for the first year roll-out of the new flagship front-line mental health service why is he so proud in the House today that he's only spent $20 million of that?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Of course we want to continue to build on what we're doing but unfortunately our mental health services were sorely neglected under the previous Government. We have built new services with Mana Ake in Canterbury and Kaikōura. We have built new services for young people with Piki. Also during the COVID period there were of course some delays—but not a great deal—and so some of those services that were delayed because of the COVID situation will continue to be rolled out in the next couple of months.On top of that new services—psychosocial responses and online services—that were not previously anticipated were rolled out during the COVID period including the Getting Through Together website which has had 34000 unique visitors to the end of April; the Sparklers at Home website which has had 47000 unique visitors to 23 April; the Mentemia app which has had 35000 downloads; the Melon Health app which has had over 1000 people signed up to it in its first two weeks of operation; and the Staying on Track e-therapy course developed by the Wise Group which has also had over 1000 people registered in its first three weeks of operation. No doubt more have signed up to those services since but during the COVID period we stood up additional things that were in addition to those other flagship policies which continue to roll out. I'm very proud of the work that our mental health services people are delivering for New Zealanders after years and years of neglect. This Government is absolutely committed to improving mental health and wellbeing of New Zealanders and we stand by our record of growing services and working towards a free service that will be available in five years for all New Zealanders.Matt Doocey: Does the Minister agree that spending only $20 million of the announced half a billion a net gain today we hear of only 20 new sites is not the level of service New Zealanders were promised by the health Minister a year ago?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I think the member misunderstands the Budget documents. The plan was not to spend the $500 million all at once in the first year when there were no workforces available to deliver it; it was to spend some in the first year to build up workforces and capacity in the sector and to continue to build. We're building a whole new workforce because the previous Government ignored mental health—the previous Government ignored mental health. We have had to start and build a new workforce because we believe it is important to take mental health seriously and build a free service that all New Zealanders can access. It's a shame that the previous Government is criticising that effort and talking down the efforts of those people who are working hard to deliver that new service for New Zealanders.Matt Doocey: Does the Minister agree with Newshub Nation reporter Simon Shepherd who said after the Minister's interview on Anzac Day about its announcement for the flagship front-line mental health service This has got a slight KiwiBuild flavour about it if they haven't managed to roll it out yet and it's a year after actually announcing it."?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I haven't seen that quote but the truth is that there was a huge period of neglect for mental health services under the previous Government. If that's what the housing record's about—because the previous Government's housing record was shocking too—then I can see where he's coming from. But what I would say is that we're absolutely committed to a new mental health service and to putting right the historic wrong where mental health was disregarded by the previous Government; where they canned the Mental Health Commission—just got rid of it; and where they failed to fund the growing demand in mental health services and left it on the backburner. They opposed the review of mental health services. We had He Ara Oranga and put that in place. We built new services even while that review was going on in Mana Ake in Canterbury and Kaikōura in response to the earthquakes. We built new services in Piki for our young people. We've put nurses in schools across New Zealand. We will continue to build our mental health services because for this Government it is a priority. This Government is taking mental health seriously and we're very proud of that.Matt Doocey: In response to the Minister's answer about He Ara Oranga the mental health inquiry recommendations what does the Minister say to the Mental Health Foundation who after Budget 2020 said that they had concerns there was "No resourcing or implementation plan for the recommendations of He Ara Oranga—without a plan we are concerned that progress will stall and drift."?SPEAKER: No that does not relate to the original question.Hon Michael Woodhouse: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The very essence of the Budget 2019 allocations that Mr Doocey's primary question was related to was in response to the recommendations of the very report that he mentioned in his supplementary. I can't see how it can't be related.SPEAKER: Well the member in his original question and in his supplementaries referred on a number of occasions to the 2019 Budget allocation and the spending of that. He then shifted to the 2020 Budget. Now I'm actually just about prepared to change my mind and ask the member to say the question again but I will say that I have been watching Mr Woodhouse in particular getting unhappy with the lengths of the answers that have been coming from the Minister at the moment. But I will say that when a very political question is asked and there have been a long series of these from this member one can expect extensive and political replies.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Speaking to the point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Well I've dealt with the point of order and I'm about to let—Hon Michael Woodhouse: Well you made a description of what was going on in my head and I think I have the right to at least contextualise that by saying—SPEAKER: That's fair enough.Hon Michael Woodhouse: —that if I was sufficiently unhappy with the way in which that answer was going I would have drawn it to your attention and I did not.SPEAKER: Well that's—I apologise. I was reading the member's repeated body language.Matt Doocey: My supplementary was: what does the Minister say in responding to the Mental Health Foundation's comments about the Budget 2020 announcement? When the Minister referenced He Ara Oranga they went on to say "No resourcing or implementation plan for the recommendations of He Ara Oranga—without a plan we are concerned that progress will stall and drift." It doesn't add up.Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I respectfully disagree because an extensive Government plan has been outlined. We have continued to invest in mental health services even those beyond He Ara Oranga and all of those psychosocial responses I've outlined in my earlier answers in the responses during the COVID period and also in the additional moneys that have been set aside—now I believe over $300 million per annum in the mental health ring-fence. That number continues to grow year by year as we put record amounts into our DHBs for strengthening specialist services as well. There has been a long long period of neglect. We have planned carefully as a Government because we take mental health seriously."