Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made in establishing a network of mental health, intellectual and cognitive champions in each Atos Medical Examination Centre since November 2010.

Atos Healthcare has a network of mental health, intellectual and cognitive champions in place to support all health care professionals. These champions are available at all times across the UK to provide advice to the health care professional on any aspect of a case involving mental function or learning disability. Due to the large number and varying size of Assessment Centres, a telephone service is considered the most effective way of providing this support - as endorsed by Professor Harrington in his reviews of the Work Capability Assessment.