New mental health support announced for those arrested

The government will be spending an additional 12 million pounds over the next two years to offer better mental health support for those arrested.

New liaison and diversion services will be brought into police custody suites and criminal courts across England, in order to make sure people with mental ill health, learning disabilities or autism get the right care in the right place.

Currently, 50,000 people a year are assessed by liaison and diversion services following arrest, with almost 70 percent requiring mental health support. This new funding will extend NHS England liaison and diversion services from 50 percent population coverage to 75 percent by 2018.

The aim of this will be to provide fair access to justice and reduce the number of unnecessary court hearings by helping to divert vulnerable people away from the criminal justice system into treatment and care.

It will build on the successful rollout of services over the last two years that have seen more than 71,000 vulnerable individuals identified and assessed.

Mental health minister Alistair Burt said: "People with a mental illness, learning disabilities or autism still need support when they come into contact with the criminal justice system. Expanding the successful liaison and diversion scheme will help make sure these factors are taken into account."