The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Mims Davies)
Today, and in British Sign Language for those watching on
Parliament Live, I am delighted to deliver on the Government’s
commitment to transform the everyday lives of disabled people
across the country for the better. We as a Government are working
to make this country the most accessible place in the world for
disabled people to live, work and thrive, and today I am proud to
announce another important...Request free trial
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
Today, and in British Sign Language for those watching on
Parliament Live, I am delighted to deliver on the Government’s
commitment to transform the everyday lives of disabled people
across the country for the better. We as a Government are working
to make this country the most accessible place in the world for
disabled people to live, work and thrive, and today I am proud to
announce another important milestone: the publication of the
disability action plan, which will actively make a difference to
disabled people’s daily lives.
In December 2022 my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for
Corby (), announced the intention to develop a new
disability action plan to set out the practical, immediate
actions that Ministers across Government will take to improve
disabled people’s daily lives. Following that, my Department and
the Disability Unit did a huge amount of work, and I thank
everyone involved. Since coming into the role I have spent time
listening, engaging and continuing to ensure that the voices of
disabled people are properly heard, as that is an important
priority for the Government. That is why in July 2023 we
consulted on the draft disability action plan, setting out a
range of proposals where we felt we could take immediate action
or lay the foundations for longer-term change. We rightly wanted
to give everyone, and most importantly disabled people, disabled
people’s organisations and other key charities and stakeholders,
the chance to have their say on the draft plan.
The consultation ran for 12 weeks and I am immensely grateful to
every single person who took the time to respond. In the
consultation we set out 12 areas for action. Each area proposed
how the Disability Unit, together with my Department, other
Government Departments and partners, would take action to drive
improvements in those areas. Since the consultation closed in
October, we have been carefully working through more than 1,300
responses, which pleasingly showed broad support for almost all
our proposals. We have used these responses, along with feedback
from a series of events and discussions during the consultation
period, to finalise the proposals, adding a number of new
measures to respond specifically to these consultation findings.
An independent analysis of the consultation findings will be
published on gov.uk today alongside the final plan when I
conclude my statement.
The disability action plan we are publishing today sets out 32
practical actions, which I will lead across Government to take
forward over the next 12 months with disabled people, disabled
people’s organisations, other Government Departments and public
service providers to improve the everyday lives of disabled
people. These actions sit across 14 different areas, aiming to:
better support disabled people who want to be elected to public
office; include disabled people’s needs more effectively in
emergency and resilience planning; include disabled people’s
needs in climate-related policies; improve information and
outcomes for families in which someone is or becomes disabled;
make playgrounds more accessible for everybody; help our
businesses of all sizes and sectors to understand the needs of,
and deliver improvements for, disabled people; explore if the UK
could host the Special Olympics world summer games in 2031;
improve support for people who have guide or assistance dogs;
help the Government to measure how effective their policies and
services are for disabled people; research issues facing disabled
people in the future so the that Government can be more proactive
in addressing them; make Government publications and
communications more accessible; improve understanding of the cost
of living for disabled people; promote better understanding
across Government of the United Nations convention on the rights
of persons with disabilities; and monitor and report progress of
the disability action plan. I can confirm that we will provide
Parliament with updates on our progress in delivering against
these actions in the plan in both six and 12 months’ time.
The disability action plan will be taken forward in parallel with
the national disability strategy. Published in 2021, this wider
strategy sets out the long-term vision to transform disabled
people’s lives for the better. A written ministerial statement to
Parliament on 18 September 2023 provided an update on progress on
those commitments. Taken together, the disability action plan and
the national disability strategy demonstrate this Government’s
clear focus on improving disabled people’s daily lives in the
here and now, and in the years to come.
As well as the disability action plan and the national disability
strategy, the Government are already delivering significant work
in areas that disabled people have told us are a priority,
including reforms to employment and welfare through “Transforming
Support”, the health and disability White Paper, and the back to
work plan, and improving health and social care through the
“People at the Heart of Care” White Paper. Further ongoing work
by Departments includes cost of living support through Help for
Households, as well as the SEND and alternative provision
improvement plan.
Today’s new disability action plan is another vital pillar in
improving disabled people’s everyday lives. Working with disabled
people and their representative organisations, and with my
colleagues across Government in my roles as lead for the
disability unit and chair of the cross-Government ministerial
disability champions, we will take immediate action now and in
the coming months to achieve real, tangible improvements for
disabled people, to help to deliver on their needs and to change
disabled people’s daily lives for the better.
I commend this statement to the House.
Mr Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the shadow Minister.
4.36pm
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
I thank the Minister for advance sight of her statement.
The Government have had consultation after consultation, and they
have published different strategies, but it sadly remains the
case that we have had nothing that actually delivers a better
life for disabled people. The Conservative party’s 2019 manifesto
promised to deliver
“a National Strategy for Disabled People before the end of
2020.”
It claimed this would be an ambitious strategy to support
disabled people in all aspects and phases of their life.
What have we actually seen? The Government finally launched their
disability survey in January 2021, and it closed in April 2021,
at the start of the pandemic. Disabled people were
disproportionately affected by covid, accounting for six in 10
deaths. They struggled to access food, personal protective
equipment and social care, and many were shielding. The question
we must ask is why a national strategy for disabled people was
not published until 28 July 2021, in the summer recess, with no
chance for parliamentary scrutiny. I am grateful to have the
opportunity to respond to the Minister today.
The disability action plan contains some positives. It attempts
to address some of the well-known barriers that disabled people
continue to face, through measures such as tackling guide dog
refusals, raising the profile of assistive technology and
increasing support for disabled people to take part in politics.
There is also a commitment to British Sign Language
interpretation at all No. 10 press conferences, which many will
remember that I have argued for on numerous occasions. It is
about time.
I do not think any Member would argue that those are not
important issues that the Government can and should look at, but
there is one glaringly obvious issue that the action plan fails
to address. The top concern for disabled people now is the cost
of living crisis—not my assumption but what disabled people are
telling me and what charities are finding on the ground. A survey
carried out by Sense found that 85% of people with complex
disabilities are worried about the rising cost of living. The
Royal National Institute of Blind People noted in its initial
analysis of the plan that
“it’s disappointing there’s no mention of any…support measures to
address the rising cost of living.”
Scope, the disability equality charity, has calculated that, on
average, disabled households face extra costs of £975 per month
to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households.
Energy bills, for example, remain high, which makes day-to-day
living very expensive for those who rely on specialist medical
equipment or need to heat their homes more than the average
household.
The Government have made two disability cost of living payments
of £150, but many disabled people have told me those barely
touched the sides, with many losing their warm home discount at
the same time. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that our
current social security system puts disabled people through
multiple upsetting and dehumanising assessments. They are denied
their legal entitlements far too often, unless they have the
strength and support to go through the appeals process.
The Government’s White Paper, published last year, caused a huge
amount of concern by proposing to scrap the work capability
assessment, leaving disabled people reliant on the flawed
personal independence payment assessment. The disability action
plan does nothing to improve the assessment process. Without
addressing those fundamental problems, the actions outlined in
the plan feel like little more than tinkering around the edges.
Disabled people need proper action that deals with all the
societal barriers that make their lives challenging. May I say
that the Government could have started by reinstating the
Minister for Disabled People role to Minister of State level?
I thank the hon. Lady for what, I think, was a warm welcome in
there somewhere—
indicated dissent.
Not so much, she says, so there we go. I reiterate that the
disability action plan is not just another consultation, but
real, tangible action to change people’s daily lives, with 13
practical actions across 14 different areas. It is about building
a society that works for everyone.
The hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford () is right to point out that
day-to-day life is too difficult for disabled people and their
families; I agree with her. That is why we have taken the
opportunities we can take in this round, alongside the wider
national disabilities strategy. I would love to boil the ocean
and to have fixed everything in the month or so I have been in
the role, but I assure hon. Members that irrespective of the
perceived level of the role, I have the convening power and
support across Government. I am delighted that the hon. Lady
keeps pushing for my elevation, but under the previous Labour
Administration the Minister for Disabled People was an
Under-Secretary of State. I am extremely proud to be an
Under-Secretary of State—
The Minister for Employment ()
A very good one.
Thank you, I will take that. Under our Government, the role has
been mixed, which does not mean that we do not take it seriously.
I take it extremely seriously.
I have come to the role with my own personal experience of living
with my father, who became disabled and lived under the Court of
Protection. When I was growing up, my mum worked with disabled
adults, getting them into work. She was an early part of the
Riding for the Disabled Association and the Special Olympics
movement. No matter what rank I have in the Government, I bring
that experience and interest to the role. I say to people
watching that the pay cheque or the rank simply do not matter—I
am in this for them.
The Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, my
hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (), and I have met to discuss
the point made by the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford about
the cost of energy. My hon. Friend is a disability champion
across Government, as am I, so we will continue to engage. I
reiterate that the cost of living payments will start again
tomorrow. Some 6.4 million people across the UK have been able to
claim an extra £150 in addition to their disability benefits, as
the hon. Lady mentioned.
It is, of course, a challenging time for everybody. We put in
place the furlough scheme and the other support for businesses
and communities across the country to try to keep people on their
feet. Between 2022 and 2025, we provided £104 billion to help
people with the cost of living. To anybody who has a disability,
a health condition or any other need, I say: please look at the
benefits calculator on gov.uk. They should look at the household
support fund, which runs for a full year—a whole six months
longer than the previous one. There is a huge amount of interest
in it, so I urge people to contact their local authority about
it. I am delighted that many people with caring responsibilities
and those looking after disabled people have been helped in this
way.
Finally, the help-to-claim service is there as well, provided by
the DWP working with Citizens Advice, to make sure that those in
need do not have to worry, because the Government, both locally
and nationally, are there for them.
Mr Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee.
(Romsey and Southampton
North) (Con)
I am sure that as an ambassador for the Special Olympics, my
constituent the great Lawrie McMenemy will welcome the
announcement that my hon. Friend has just made. Specifically, she
has announced 32 practical actions across 14 separate areas. That
gives an idea of the scale of the challenge when it comes to
co-ordination and accountability. There are disability champions
across every Government Department, and of course there is the
disability unit in the Cabinet Office. How will she make sure
that the challenge of co-ordination is successfully met, so that
my constituents and each Member in this House will know who to
turn to, and who to hold accountable, if those 32 practical
actions are not delivered?
I thank my right hon. Friend for her point about the Special
Olympics. When I was Sports Minister, I had the honour of meeting
her constituent. I share his passion for a very important
movement. It is potentially life changing, which is why I am
delighted that it is in this plan.
My right hon. Friend asks about the evidence and data around the
disability action plan. The plan is there to improve the quality
of Government health data, and to increase insight into the needs
and barriers that affect disabled people’s daily lives.
Ultimately, we will evaluate the impact of these policies and
services, and we will use data, when they are available, to
monitor and assess the outcomes of the plan. We will start work
on developing more comprehensive evaluation. I know that, through
her role as the Chair of the Select Committee, she will
absolutely measure me and my role in this. I assure her, the
House and all those watching that the plan is absolutely about
learning, and delivering on this challenge.
Mr Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Motherwell and Wishaw)
(SNP)
I thank the Minister for prior sight of her statement. This
disability action plan is not a plan; it is a mishmash of
short-term policies. Some of the proposals are welcome and should
have been sorted out long ago. Others are unclear and simply do
not address the most pressing concerns of disabled people.
In my submission to the DAP consultation, I listed key areas that
had been overlooked. Cost of living and welfare support are still
missing, even though these areas were consistently raised by
disability organisations and individuals. The Minister says that
the Government will improve understanding of the cost of living
for disabled people. What better understanding do they need? For
the past two years, disabled people have been crying out for more
targeted financial support to assist with their additional cost
of living needs.
The Minister said that the Government will promote better
understanding of the United Nations convention on the rights of
persons with disabilities across Government. What does that
actually mean? In 2016, the UK Government were found to have
systematically failed disabled people. That is still happening.
The work capability assessment reforms will subject more disabled
people to the cruel, punitive, and ineffective sanctions regime.
Why? If the Government are serious about improving the lives of
those with disabilities, they should start by scrapping the
proposals ahead of the 6 March Budget. How much of this plan will
actually be enacted before the general election?
In contrast, the Scottish Government are acting within budgetary
constraints to improve the lives of disabled people through the
adult disability payment and child disability payment. The
independent living fund, with an initial investment of up to £9
million, will enable people with disabilities to improve their
life. Finally, no offence, but the downgrading of the role of
Minister for disabilities indicates this Government’s disregard
for people with disabilities.
I thank the hon. Lady for her response; I am glad that advanced
sight of the statement was welcome, at least. I reiterate to
those watching that this plan is one pillar of the work that we
are doing across all Government Departments to help disabled
people to succeed, and to make this the most accessible place to
live, work and thrive.
The work capability assessment will be changed. My engagement so
far has been very much about what disabled people feel. I was in
Aberdeen on Thursday, chatting to some of our claimants and those
working with a local charity. Many of those disabled people were
so frustrated that they cannot get a chance to work, and to try
things. The action plan is not about punitive sanctions; it is
about giving disabled people the opportunity to take part in
wider daily life, which we all take for granted. I point her to
the cost of living support, and the around £200 million in
Barnett consequentials for her Government. I have consistently
asked where the money is going and how they are spending it. I
would love to have pointed that out to those I met on
Thursday.
This issue is not about party-political barneying in this
Chamber; the hon. Lady and I share the view that it is about
supporting disabled people in their daily life. I strongly
believe that these measures will change their daily life. We will
report in six months—if she knows more than me, and the next
election is before that, then it will not be me doing so—and in
12 months. Of course, she and I will continue to discuss these
matters until the election. I am sure that where we can work
together, we will.
(Norwich North) (Con)
I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of
Members’ Financial Interests, in respect of a charity to do with
deaf people and cancer. I welcome my hon. Friend to her post. I
know from many years of working with her that she is a very
capable Minister who will take the job extremely seriously and
give it her all. Disabled people have told me very clearly that
they need a senior, serious voice in Government. Will she say a
little more about how she will be that voice, and how she will
listen to disabled people and reflect their needs inside
Government? Also, to echo my right hon. Friend the Member for
Romsey and Southampton North (), the Chair of the Women and
Equalities Committee, I press the Minister to say a little more
about how she will ensure that disabled people’s issues of
accessibility are not an afterthought in Government but are put
first, so that inclusion is by design, and important aims are all
achieved.
I thank my right hon. Friend for her kind words, and for her
incredible, impeccable support; she took the British Sign
Language Act 2022 through Parliament, and I thank her for the
work that she has done in my Department, and her continuing
interest in these matters. Fundamentally, the disability action
plan is about disabled people’s daily lives, and their needs not
being an afterthought in any part of Government.
I will be honest: coming into this role, I found getting messages
out extremely challenging. I will take that forward by promoting
accessible communications, monitoring standards and training, and
ensuring full inclusion. The hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford
() mentioned the No. 10
Downing Street briefings. It is so important that everybody knows
the central messages; everyone needs to be included. That is why
one of the actions comes down to local resilience forums, and
having the right engagement at a local level in times of needs. I
am sure that my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North
() will welcome that, too.
Mr Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.
Sir (East Ham) (Lab)
The Select Committee called for a review of the underperforming
Disability Confident scheme. That review was delayed by the
pandemic, but in October we were told that officials were
refining the recommendations. Can the Minister tell us what the
plan says about Disability Confident, and does it hold out the
prospect of shorter waiting times for Access to Work?
It was remiss of me not to reply just now to the point raised by
my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North () about the strong voice across
Government. That is, of course, the Secretary of State, who sits
in the Cabinet and works alongside me to represent disabled
people’s voices.
To respond to the Chair of the Select Committee, Access to Work
grants, which helping with extra costs beyond standard reasonable
adjustments, are important for my Department as we smash the
employment goal and try to do more on disability employment. He
is right to ask about that and to challenge Disability Confident.
It is not just a nice thing that companies put on their website;
it needs to deliver change for disabled people in the workplace.
We will look at the disability employment goal; I am looking at
Access to Work, and I will look at Disability Confident, just as
the Select Committee has done. I urge him to watch this
space.
(North Swindon) (Con)
I welcome these proposals, and I thank the fantastic disability
unit team, and the stakeholders who have helped to shape them—in
particular, the proposals on accessible play parks. I have been
working with organisations such as Benjamin’s Smile and Mums on a
Mission, both in my constituency. Swindon is leading by example
when it comes to making sure that children’s play parks are
accessible to all, and hopefully we can make that a given across
the whole country. One of the key points of the national
disability strategy was that there would be an annual review, so
that we could be held to account on what we achieved and where we
needed to work harder. It would also allow us to set out the next
range of ambitious targets, co-ordinated by the Minister through
the departmental disability champions. Can I have assurance that,
good as these proposals are, we will review them on an annual
basis, as well as having a new, fresh set? I also join the calls
to see my hon. Friend made a Minister of State, because if she is
to co-ordinate efforts across Government, in areas beyond her
direct influence, she needs to have that gravitas in that room,
so that she can demand what is needed to remove barriers for
disabled people.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his experience and insight. I
have met the ministerial disability champions already to ensure:
that disability inclusion is a priority and is ultimately
delivered in their Departments’ work; that they continue to be
accountable for their contribution to the development and
delivery of the national disability strategy and the disability
action plan; and that they continue to show their commitment to
disabled people by creating opportunities, protecting their
rights and ensuring action on everything that we have spoken
about today, in terms of contributions to society.
On making playgrounds more accessible and my hon. Friend’s
impeccable work in his constituency, there is a lot of
information on disability inclusion in organised sport, physical
activity and exercise, but information on making playgrounds
accessible is unfortunately not easily available. We want to make
it available, work with the partners he mentioned and achieve
best practice among local authorities. That will be part of this
plan, and we will measure its delivery in six months and 12
months.
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab)
I have huge regard for the Minister, but I gently say to her that
we must recognise the context of this disability action plan.
Between 2011 and 2020, the equivalent of £20 billion was cut from
working-age people, predominantly disabled people. Individually,
they lost thousands of pounds every year, as my hon. Friend the
Member for Lewisham, Deptford () pointed out. The Joseph
Rowntree Foundation’s “UK Poverty 2024” report identified that
disabled people have been disproportionately impacted by that,
and are likely to suffer deep poverty and destitution. On the
Government’s commitment, I hope that the Minister can reassure
me: it is approaching two years since the Equality and Human
Rights Commission found that the Department was discriminating
against disabled people and issued a section 23 notice, and we
still have heard nothing from the Department on that. Could the
Minister reassure us that it will publish something on that in
the next few weeks, and certainly before the second anniversary
of that notice?
I thank the hon. Lady for her points. I know that she has long
been pushing for a response, and I will write to her further on
that matter. As I said to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford
(), there has been substantial
cost of living support, but I understand the point about
disability costs that has been made today. Again, I point people
towards the household support fund, which is there for exactly
those additional costs. In fact, we are doing research and
evaluation on where that support is going, and it is making a
difference to people’s daily lives. I want those people to know
that, beyond the cost of living payments, which start again
tomorrow, further support is available through their local
authorities or from devolved moneys.
(Rutland and Melton)
(Con)
I welcome the disability action plan. It follows the British Sign
Language Act 2022 and the Down Syndrome Act 2022, which have
supported 2 million more disabled people into work, as well as
the cost of living disability payments, which begin tomorrow. I
will be holding a disability forum in my home county of Rutland
on 28 June, where I will bring together people living with
disabilities, and their families and carers, so that we can
create a plan for our county. Will my hon. Friend, who has
brought such strength and passion to her role, share what support
might be available to help roll out such action plans at a local
level?
I thank my hon. Friend for making that important point. Something
announced here in Westminster might sound great, but what does it
mean in Rutland and beyond? That is an important part of the next
steps. Of course, we have support in our jobcentres, with further
work coach support and disability employment advisers offering
advice and expertise, and I have mentioned Access to Work,
Disability Confident and our future employment goal. If she sent
me an invite, I would be delighted to listen in on what her
constituents and those advocating would like to hear and
understand.
(Islington North) (Ind)
I note that the Minister mentioned in her statement the aim
to
“promote better understanding across Government of the United
Nations convention on the rights of persons with
disabilities”,
which is very welcome. How exactly will she do that with each
Department, both in their roles as employers of a large number of
people around the country, and in the policies that they promote,
such as disability benefits—including those relating to mental
health—and the provision of housing for people with disabilities?
If she finds that the Departments are not coming up to the mark
in achieving what she wants of them, how will she ensure that
they are forced to carry out her policy, to ensure that there is
real equality for people with disabilities in our society?
The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point about
cross-Government working and delivering on the action plan. I
stress to him and to those watching that the plan is one pillar
of the work that we are doing. We will, for example, work to
increase disability-inclusive approaches to emergency and
resilience planning and climate adaptions, through working
strategically with teams on that. We will always work with the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to ensure that
disability inclusion is increased. As I have said, it is
increasingly vital that ministerial champions deliver and are
accountable in their Departments—that is what I will be doing. It
will mean that disabled people can benefit from everything that
Government and community do, and can rightly contribute to every
aspect of our society.
Sir (Elmet and Rothwell)
(Con)
I welcome my hon. Friend’s statement. I am particularly pleased
about the aim to
“help our businesses of all sizes and sectors to understand the
needs of, and deliver improvements for, disabled people”.
One group of people who feel that they should be recognised in
disability plans are those with advanced endometriosis. In a
debate that I led on endometriosis in the workplace, we heard
that some of the issues that women face at that advanced stage
are really disabilities, but because they are not listed as such,
many women lose their jobs owing to poor attendance through sick
days and so on. I very much welcome the strategy, but will my
hon. Friend consider expanding it to those women’s health issues
that are totally disabling?
I thank my right hon. Friend for his question. Research shows
that disabled people are more likely to experience difficulties
and barriers in accessing products and services, which results in
a lack of confidence —whether that is on the high street, in
going to work, or elsewhere. The consultation proposes a
voluntary accreditation scheme for businesses to train their
staff in disability awareness. The benefits to business are
absolutely clear: Purple says that the spending power of disabled
households is £284 billion a year.
As my right hon. Friend knows, I lead on women’s health and on
the wider issue of keeping women in the workforce within the
Department for Work and Pensions. The debilitating impact of the
menopause and the wider impact of menstruation in the oil and gas
sector, for example, were issues raised in Aberdeen just last
week, which links into our women’s health strategy. This is the
second time that endometriosis has been mentioned in the Chamber
recently. I would be happy to meet my right hon. Friend and
others to discuss how we link it into our understanding.
(Edinburgh West) (LD)
There is much to welcome in the plan, but there are also a few
things that are missing. One specific thing that the Minister has
included in her 14 areas for action is helping businesses of all
sizes and sectors to understand the needs of, and deliver
improvements for, disabled people. One of my constituents came to
me recently because, as a user of an electric wheelchair, she has
found it almost impossible to know what businesses—specifically
hotels—mean by “accessible”. It means something different to
every business: wheelchair users can find themselves going into a
business and then being unable to move around. If they are in a
hotel, they can get to their hotel room, but cannot move around
within that room. Can the Minister tell us whether the Government
are going to take action to set out exactly what is needed if a
business is going to use the term “accessible”?
I thank the hon. Lady for making that point, which also applies
to businesses’ recruitment: they talk about recruiting
differently, and they want to do so, but then they regress. That
tends to be due to a lack of understanding. The Disability Unit
will work to better define what businesses need to do, building
on the main issues raised in the consultation responses. That
work will also look at evidence gaps; at where existing schemes
are already doing things and there may be duplication; and, as
the hon. Lady said and as I described earlier, at where people
think they are doing the right thing but it does not match the
reality of the experience for disabled people using a service or
having a day out or a night away. That is part of the work
covered by actions 18 and 19 in the plan, and I would be
delighted to hear from the hon. Lady what that means to her
constituents.
(The Wrekin) (Con)
I welcome the disability action plan. The Minister mentioned the
cost of living; I wondered what more could be done to speed up
the transition to personal independence payments for those living
on disability living allowance. One of my constituents has just
waited over a year for that transition to take place.
I welcome the fact that access to playgrounds is in the action
plan, but following on from the questions asked by my hon. Friend
the Member for North Swindon () and the right hon. Member
for Islington North (), what more can be done to
ensure that these points are delivered, both at a local
government level—perhaps by making it a statutory responsibility
for local councils to provide at least a minimum level of
disability access for some play areas and playgrounds—and at a
national level? What cross-departmental committees or working is
the Minister already involved with?
I thank my right hon. Friend for making some really pertinent
points. In regard to his point about playgrounds, that is why
there will be a portal and some best practice. Some local
authorities are already delivering; others will be able to learn
from those interventions, so that families can enjoy playing
together in the way that everybody else would take for granted.
That should be available in every community.
My right hon. Friend also mentioned the wider structural changes.
I am happy to look at the specific case he raised. If he would
kindly send me the details, I would be very grateful. This plan
is part of the wider national disability strategy, including
changes to the work capability assessment. The engagement I have
had with disabled people and their organisations has made clear
that there are some very vulnerable people who are very keen to
be protected and supported, and there are other groups who are
very keen to get the opportunities and chances they need. This
Government are determined to get the approach right for everybody
and every community.
(Slough) (Lab)
According to the charity Sense, 85% of people with complex
disabilities are worried about the rising cost of living. The
Minister’s predecessor said that the disability action plan would
outline the “immediate” action this Government would take to make
the lives of disabled people better, so why does the disability
action plan do so little to address the cost of living crisis
now?
I would point the hon. Gentleman to the next stage of the cost of
living payments, which start tomorrow, and again to the household
support fund, which we see, evidentially, is supporting carers
and those with disabilities at a really difficult time. We have
ensured the energy price guarantee remains in place as an
additional safety net until March this year. It will hold bills
down, and I hope, as energy prices fall, it will help low-paid
workers or disabled people, as he describes. The Government are
providing millions of households with further cost of living
payments, as I say, and there is a £104 billion package to
support households until 2025. I am engaged with the other
disability champion, the Under-Secretary of State for Energy
Security and Net Zero, my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North
(), on this matter. That is
wider than this specific plan, but the hon. Gentleman can be
assured that we continue to engage on this matter.
(Ynys Môn) (Con)
May I say llongyfarchiadau—congratulations—to the Minister on the
launch of the disability action plan? I visited Ysgol Llanfawr in
Morawelon, Holyhead, where teacher Ceri Wyn Jones’s year 6 class
excitedly shared with me how important playgrounds are to them
and their families, and they would love a splash park. Can the
Minister reassure students such as Phoebe Owen and Alecia Hughes
that she will work with her devolved partners to ensure that
playgrounds across Ynys Môn are made more accessible for
everyone?
Diolch yn fawr—and iechyd da! That is a fantastic opportunity for
those local children to have a really inclusive and positive
playground. This afternoon, I wrote to my counterparts in the
Welsh Government to tell them about the plan, and to thank them
for their engagement. We want to support action in all
playgrounds to make sure disabled children and their families
have that sense of belonging and that experience, and there is no
greater sense of belonging than when it comes to Ynys Môn. We
want to make sure that learning comes from play, which is why,
when that splash pad is being designed, the portal and the best
practice could make it more inclusive than anyone could have
dreamed of before today.
(Hayes and Harlington)
(Lab)
Will the action plan address the specific issue raised by the
excellent John Pring of the Disability News Service, which is the
14-year pattern of the DWP dismissing the concerns expressed by
coroners over the deaths of disabled claimants?
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for the point he makes. Of
course, we in our Department deal with some very vulnerable
people in very difficult situations, but this is a time of
30-plus actions and some changes that are extremely positive. We
have made sure that we have put safeguarding at the heart of what
we do, and I will write to him specifically about that
matter.
(Oxford West and Abingdon)
(LD)
The Botley Road in Oxford has been closed for nearly a year, with
another six months to go. While that is an inconvenience for
residents, for our disabled residents it has been an absolute
blight on their lives. The one thing that was put in place for
them has been reduced to just one hour in the day, and they have
felt completely left out, while some have not even left their
homes. Will this plan include provisions for local residents
affected by infrastructure projects—in this case, run by Network
Rail, which is making the decisions—because I cannot see where
that is included in the plan?
If the hon. Lady send me the details, I would be happy to have a
look at the specific issue and that particular group. In this
disability action plan, the Government truly believe that
considering disabled people’s needs in policy making makes for
better and more inclusive outcomes for everyone. That is why
reaching net zero by 2050 is engaged in actions 7 to 11. There is
also our work on clean air zones and ultra low emission zones,
including making sure that disabled people’s access needs are
fully balanced when creating such schemes. When it comes to
access—whether it is about road closures, or rail—that is exactly
what this plan is about, and I am keen to look at the details she
mentioned.
(Hampstead and Kilburn)
(Lab)
A constituent of mine who has been hospitalised multiple times
over the past 20 years as a result of a serious bipolar disorder
was deemed ineligible for PIP. He received absolutely no help
navigating the complex PIP process and had to go through a
lengthy tribunal until he was finally deemed eligible. How will
this plan bring about any meaningful change when the Government
have repeatedly failed to get to grips with the long-standing
failures in the disability benefits system?
That sounds like a very concerning case. This action plan is part
of a wider structural reform on health and disability. We know
from our research that one in five people with a disability or
health condition is not expected to engage in work preparation,
but they might want to work. The hon. Lady’s constituent is
seemingly very vulnerable, and this is a difficult process to
navigate. We have our help to claim service and other support for
vulnerable claimants, and I am happy to look at this issue for
the hon. Lady. The White Paper transformations include a new
potential passporting to UC health element through PIP, but I am
conscious that every PIP delay or PIP challenge involves a person
and a situation and is very concerning, and I am making that a
priority in this role.
(Ellesmere Port and Neston)
(Lab)
I want to follow up on the earlier questions about accessible
play areas, which I am pleased are a part of the disability
action plan. I do not think having a website will go far enough
in delivering what we all want to see, which is far more
accessible play areas. There needs to be a strategy backed with
resources underneath this website to deliver on the aspiration
that we all share. The Minister will know that local authorities
are on their knees in terms of funding, so will the Department
put in any money to make sure that all our children are able to
access play areas?
Sport England is undertaking work on best practice and that is
precisely about opening up that portal and making this a reality
for youngsters. We know that all children’s wellbeing is
absolutely about their social activities and opportunities to
learn through play, and this plan should not and will not be a
talking shop resulting in no change. I will keenly make sure that
this information on accessible playgrounds makes a difference,
and that will be part of the reports we do at six and 12
months.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for her statement; it was most helpful.
Several of my disabled constituents have raised an issue that I
am sure is replicated in every constituency across the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and which is not
clear in the action plan: help to insulate homes to aid with
energy costs for those who need health-related upgrades or
ongoing help with energy costs rather than a one-off bonus
payment. What consideration have the Government given to the
issue of warm homes for our disabled constituents—something that
they do not necessarily have?
I wrote to counterparts in Northern Ireland again today, as I did
to all devolved groups, and the hon. Gentleman is right about the
challenges we have heard in the Chamber today, and I am happy to
look at the extra support available for his community. As usual,
he makes a pertinent point about ensuring that everybody has that
warm home and that support. This is of course devolved in a
slightly different way in his community, but I am happy to share
the details with him.
(Leeds East) (Lab)
The truth is that disabled people have been at the sharp end of
this Government’s cruel policies: their austerity and their
attacks on social security and public services. Disabled people
are also among the hardest hit by the cost of living crisis, but
this disability action plan fails to introduce the emergency
measures demanded by disabled people to directly address the
crisis, never mind the decade of attacks they have faced; isn’t
that the case?
I do not appreciate the characterisation—[Interruption.] Excuse
me, the hon. Gentleman seems to be distracted. As I was saying, I
do not understand his characterisation. There are 32 actions over
the next 12 months in 14 different areas where we have listened
and engaged with disabled people. We have heard what they want,
and those actions are in parallel with our national disability
strategy. His is exactly the kind of rhetoric—“The Government are
against you and not supporting you”—that makes disabled people
feel more isolated and concerned for their welfare. I want to say
squarely to people listening today that we have an absolute focus
on what we can do to make sure that disabled people’s daily lives
are better and that there is support and help there for them.
This is one of the pillars of support that this Government are
absolutely committed to. When he reads the full plan, he will see
that it will make disabled people’s daily lives better, and that
is what this Government are determined to deliver.
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