Steve Goddard visits The Mill centre on Cowley Rd

8.41.11am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th Apr 2010

Steve Goddard, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Oxford East, yesterday visited The Mill centre. The Mill is a centre run by mind to help people with mental health problems. Steve met with staff and service users before giving a speech on the Liberal Democrat position on mental health.

Steve said "The Liberal Democrats want to see real investment in mental health services. Too often mental health has been treated as a cinderella service. Too often people are left to suffer in silence. Labour have been too slow to act to increase the number of counsellors, and they spent too many years trying to force through the draft Mental Health Act, which was a horrible piece of legislation. Attitudes to mental health problems need to change, both in society and in the Government."

"Mental health services should no longer be the first port of call in a budget crisis, as they were last time Oxfordshire had to make cuts to health spending. With £240m pounds worth of cuts coming in the next three years we must make sure that mental health is protected, and improved."

"It is voluntary groups and charities like Oxfordshire Mind that make a real difference to so many people's lives, particularly through centres like The Mill. Frankly, Government must do a better job of ensuring the resources are available and people can access good quality treatment quickly, which has not been the case for many people."