Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health on the mental health of unemployed people.

My department is committed to supporting those with mental health conditions and we are working across government to provide and improve integrated health and employment support. We are more than doubling the number of employment advisers in talking therapies and we will be investing nearly £115m to implement trials which will build our evidence base on what works to help people with health conditions to return to or gain employment

In October 2016 my department published, jointly with the Department of Health, Improving Lives: the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper. This reflected the Government’s new and ambitious approach to work and health, wishing to join up systems and work widely to change attitudes with employers, within the welfare state, across the health service and in wider society so that we focus on the strengths of those with health conditions and what they can do. Our 15-week consultation engaged with disabled people and people with long term conditions, their families and carers, health and social care professionals, their representative bodies, local and national organisations, employers and charities. The consultation received almost 6000 responses across all sectors. The Government is currently considering the responses and will reach decisions on next steps in due course.