Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken as a member of the Peace Implementation Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In response to recent secessionist moves by the Republika Srpska leadership, we have worked with our Peace Implementation Council (PIC) partners and the High Representative to support local actors in their robust response, and to protect Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) institutions from attempts to undermine them. On 10 March, I spoke with BiH Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic to reaffirm the UK's support for BiH, the rule of law, and the Dayton Peace Agreement. The UK Ambassador to BiH and our Special Envoy to the Western Balkans have similarly engaged with the High Representative and PIC partners to address the situation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in (a) Germany, (b) France, (c) Italy and (d) the US on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik's sentence, the UK Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and other officials have repeatedly engaged with our Quint partners (Germany, France, Italy and US, plus EU and NATO), to discuss the situation and develop a forward-leaning response. I, along with the UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Dame Karen Pierce, have also worked with our allies, the High Representative and BiH leaders to underline our support for BiH's sovereignty and territorial integrity. On 10 March, I spoke with BiH Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic to reaffirm the UK's support for BiH, the rule of law, and the Dayton Peace Agreement. We will continue to work with our international partners to support BiH in tackling these most recent threats to its stability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what accessibility adjustments are in place for the consultation on the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper; and whether her Department consulted with disabled people on accessibility requirements for that consultation.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. Throughout the consultation period we will listen, learn and take feedback through an online form, email, post and through accessible in-person and online events.

We will publish a full suite of accessible versions of the Green Paper, to ensure that everyone can engage with the consultation. The consultation will close 12 weeks after the point at which all the accessible versions are available, to ensure that all stakeholders have sufficient time to engage and we hear from as many people as possible. We will also be holding a full schedule of public events which we will publish along with the accessible versions in the coming weeks. The public consultation events will accommodate any reasonable adjustments for individuals who wish to attend, including re-imbursing travel costs and arranging accessible venues and interpreters for attendees.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure energy suppliers are resolving noncommunicating smart meters.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Over 90% of smart meters are sending automatic readings to energy suppliers. To drive this percentage up further we are working at pace alongside industry partners to share best practice and improve smart meter connectivity across Great Britain.

Ofgem is currently conducting compliance engagement into six energy suppliers in relation to their obligations to keep smart meters operating in smart mode. Ofgem is also currently consulting on new Guaranteed Standards of Performance (GSOPs) that will further strengthen consumer protections in cases where a smart meter is not sending automatic readings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce the delay for a bipolar diagnosis and (b) bring it in line with early intervention targets for other conditions.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including for people with bipolar disorder. We are determined to change that.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, create a network of open access community Young Futures hubs, recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to cut wait times and provide faster treatment, and modernise the Mental Health Act.

We are also committed to new models of care for mental health, including reforming care for people experiencing a mental health crisis. We are testing neighbourhood mental health centres for people aged 18 years old and over with serious mental illness. These six pilot schemes are based in Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Sheffield, York, Birmingham, and Whitehaven.

These models will offer 24/7 open access care closer to home, with an integrated service which includes healthcare providers, local authorities, and the voluntary sector. These pilots build on international evidence that shows that similar models have led to a reduction in hospitalisation and waiting times, and support our efforts to move more care into the community.

Since 2021, all areas of the country have been transforming and increasing access to community mental health services for all people with severe mental illness, including people with bipolar disorder. The vision for the transformation programme was set out in the Community Mental Health Framework, which included ensuring that services were needs led, rather than requiring people to have a specific diagnosis to access care.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40633 on Social Security Benefits: Reform, when her Department plans to publish the full suite of accessible versions of the Green Paper.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The remaining accessible formats of the Green Paper have now been published and can be accessed here: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper - GOV.UK. A full suite of accessible versions is available including Audio, British Sign Language, Braille, Large Print and Easy Read.

The consultation will close in 12 weeks on 30 June 2025, to ensure that everyone has sufficient time to engage with and respond to the consultation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will provide guidance to customer service teams to ensure that written responses are available upon request.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Customers can contact DWP by telephone or post, face to face and via digital channels.

DWP continues to develop services that are easy to find and navigate, ensuring that the people feel confident and protected when they are relying on us.

The department is modernising to allow customers to interact with the department across multiple channels and in a way that suits them, enabling customers to self-serve online, while retaining non-digital channels for those that need them, avoiding digital exclusion and ensuring that everyone gets the level of support they need. Of course, if a customer cannot access digital services and specifically requests a written response, the department will provide this.

Developing secure digital channels for both the customer and the department is a key foundation of the work to modernise its services and using email as an outbound channel to communicate with customers is being progressed, the department is developing more secure and effective inbound digital channels for customers to use.

Found: Afzal Khan; Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon; Lord Murray of Blidworth; Lord Sewell of Sanderstead; Alex Sobel

Found: Alex Sobel MP has also tabled an amendment, which I welcome.

Found: Alex Sobel MP has also tabled an amendment, which I welcome.

Found: Alex Sobel MP has also tabled an amendment, which I welcome.

Found: Alex Sobel MP has also tabled an amendment, which I welcome.

Found: Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws; Afzal Khan; Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon; Lord Murray of Blidworth; Alex Sobel

Found: _NC53 Alex Sobel Kim Johnson Mr Andrew Mitchell Liz Saville Roberts .

Found: _NC14 Alex Sobel ★.

Found: _8 Paula Barker Siân Berry Neil Duncan-Jordan Alex Sobel Marsha De Cordova David Davis .

Found: _NC53 Alex Sobel Kim Johnson Mr Andrew Mitchell Liz Saville Roberts ★.

Found: Alex Sobel Graeme Downie Rachael Maskell Afzal Khan Sir Iain Duncan Smith Ms Marie Rimmer Carolyn

Found: Alex Sobel Graeme Downie Rachael Maskell Afzal Khan Sir Iain Duncan Smith Ms Marie Rimmer Carolyn

Found: Not called_NC72 Alex Sobel Cat Smith Jon Trickett Grahame Morris Anna Dixon Mr Alistair Carmichael

The Joint Committee on Human Rights is conducting legislative scrutiny of the Crime and Policing Bill to assess its compatibility with international and domestic human rights standards.