Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on improving co-ordination between healthcare services and the welfare system to support people with bipolar.

Ministers hold discussions with other ministerial colleagues regularly, on a range of issues.

The Get Britain Working White Paper confirms the Government’s commitment to continuing to expand the number of places on Individual Placement Support schemes to help thousands more people with severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder, to find and stay in employment.

The White Paper also confirms our commitment to expand NHS Talking Therapies. Over 90% of NHS Talking Therapies services in England provide access to Employment Advisers with an aspiration that, by March 2025, 99% will offer employment support as part of their service.