WEC Chair comment: Minister for disabled people

Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP said: 

“Scrapping this role sends entirely the wrong message when it’s clear disabled people want more influence over the strategies, action plans, and policies affecting them.

“We heard just yesterday from the Minister for Women and Equalities that a Minister for disabled people would be appointed and now we know she was wrong. It begs the question who exactly is going to "grip" disabilities across Government (as the former Minister described his role)?

“WEC’s December report on the National Disability Strategy engagement warned the Government has ‘not learnt lessons’ from the concerns raised over the development of the NDS and that its efforts to engage with disabled people are ‘perceived to be superficial’. We called on the Minister for Disabled People to have greater powers, instead the Government has scrapped the role entirely. This move will do nothing to stop disabled people feeling further disempowered and I would urge the PM to re-think.

“It is vital that the responsibilities of this brief are prioritised and ministers work closely with disabled people and their representative organisations to deliver meaningful, long-lasting improvements.”

ENDS

Further information:

NDS report