Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people working in the construction industry.

Through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is providing record levels of investment, and increasing the mental health workforce, to expand and transform the mental health services provided by the National Health Service. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, NHS spending on mental health is forecast to have increased by £4.6 billion, compared to the target of £3.4 billion, as set out at the time of the Long Term Plan’s publishing.

Additionally, as announced at the Autumn Statement, we are investing £795 million of additional funding, which will increase the number of sessions per course of Talking Therapies treatment and broaden access, leading to an expected additional 384,000 people completing a course of treatment by 2028/29. It will also fund an additional 100,000 Individual Placement and Support places over five years, which will help people with severe mental illness gain and retain paid employment.