Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support into Work: Mental Ill Health

Monday 8 December 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial initiatives include resources for mental health support in schools and additional investment in the NHS for mental health services.
  • Conversations with the Department of Health and Social Care aim to address the root causes of mental ill health and promote early intervention.
  • The Department has had meetings with the DHSC to discuss the 10-year plan and the provision of mental health support.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Monica Harding Lib Dem Esher and Walton
Employment Mental Health
Context

Young constituents in Esher and Walton are out of work due to mental health conditions. Mental health waiting lists for under-18s in the area average 184 days.

Question

As is the case throughout the country, young constituents in Esher and Walton are out of work due to mental health conditions. I welcome departmental initiatives such as the disability employment advisers and cross-Government work through the joint work and health directorate and WorkWell. However, fragile mental health can be picked up on and supported earlier in school and may be a result of poorly identified special education needs—an area that we know is at breaking point—and the current state of mental health waiting lists; in Esher and Walton, for instance, the average wait for under-18s is 184 days. What current learnings from the Department for Work and Pensions are being fed back into the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that the next cohort is ready for work?

Answer from Diana Johnson (Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions)

The hon. Lady knows that there are already resources going into schools to provide mental health support to children and young people early on. There is also additional money going in through the Government’s investment into the NHS, which will include mental health services.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific learnings from DWP not shared with DE or DHSC were not addressed

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Q2 Chris Vince Labour (Co-op) Harlow
NHS Mental Health
Context

Constituents in Harlow report receiving mental health support only during crisis, often after quitting work and training.

Question

What conversations has the Department had with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that the 10-year plan tackles the root causes of mental ill health? My constituents in Harlow tell me that they get mental health support only when they are really facing crisis, and by the time they have got to that crisis point, they have already given up work and training.

Answer from Diana Johnson (Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions)

My hon. Friend raises an important point. We know that 6,700 workers in the NHS are already providing that additional mental health support and, as I have said, work is going on in schools as well, recognising that early intervention is so important. I have also had meetings with the DHSC, particularly to look at how the two Departments can work together to ensure that we are providing wraparound care to people in work. This is happening alongside the Charlie Mayfield review “Keep Britain Working”, because we know that people may develop mental health conditions during the course of their life in employment, and we want to ensure that they stay in employment with the right support wrapped around them.

Answered
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