MENTAL health campaigners in Wales have slammed the Welsh government’s response to a Senedd inquiry as “a list of excuses.”

The mental health advisory group’s response is published today as part of the Senedd’s health and social care committee report on mental health inequalities.

An advisory group, made up of people from across Wales with experience of mental health inequalities, has expressed disappointment at the Welsh government’s response.

The group worked with the committee and said that the Welsh government appears to be “side-stepping and not committing to anything concrete” and that Deputy Minister Lynne Neagle’s response “seems like a list of excuses.” 

Some of the comments made by advisory members in response to the Welsh government were: “I’m so fed up with hearing ‘that’s for the UK government.’

“Our group talked specifically about health, about housing, about homelessness and there’s nothing of that in here.

“They’ve ignored the specifics of the recommendations. It’s very disappointing.”

The committee report will be debated in the Senedd later today.

Committee chairman Russell George said: “Overall, our report provides an ambitious and hopeful vision for reducing inequalities and improving mental health and wellbeing in Wales.

“However, as a committee, we share our online advisory group’s disappointment that the response doesn’t fully reflect our report’s ambition.”

The Welsh government was asked for a response to the advisory group’s comments.

The deputy minister’s response to the committee’s recommendations will also be published today and she has accepted all but one of the report’s 27 recommendations.