Employment and mental illness
14th June 2010
Harriett asks the Work and Pensions Minister what the Government will do to help people with mental illness back into work.
Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con): Many of my constituents have Welsh connections- [Interruption.] It is true. What would the Minister say to a constituent of mine who is physically very fit, but who has mental illness? How will we help people with mental illness back into work?
Chris Grayling: That is particularly relevant to the situation in Wales, where there are substantial numbers of people claiming incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance, as there are in other parts of the country, such as in my hon. Friend's constituency. We need to ensure that we provide the best possible support, so that we give those people an opportunity to move into work. That is what we will do from later this year, when we begin work on migrating people from incapacity benefit to the employment and support allowance. I am confident that we can give many of those people an opportunity to get back into the workplace and make more of their lives.
Several hon. Members rose -
Mr Speaker: Order. May I congratulate the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Harriett Baldwin) on her ingenuity? I mean that genuinely. However, we will now focus specifically on people who are not associated with or linked to, but resident in, Wales.
Note: Harriett was granted a supplementary to a question on Employment in Wales so ingeniously managed to relate her questions to Wales.
