Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work (): Today, I will place in the House Library a copy
of the UK’s 2022 follow-up report to the UN Committee on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, following the 2016 inquiry.
This Government is committed to eliminating barriers faced by
disabled people, in order to realise their full participation and
inclusion in society. The follow-up report demonstrates how we
are implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities and showcases positive action taking place across
the UK to support disabled people.
The UK Government has implemented numerous policies and
programmes to tackle the barriers faced by disabled people
relevant to the articles examined by the inquiry, as highlighted
in our latest report to the UN Committee for the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities.
We have seen 1.3 million more disabled people in work than in
2017 - delivering a Government commitment five years early. We
are investing £1.3 billion over three years in employment support
for disabled people and people with health conditions.
The Government is providing households with cost of living
support totalling over £37 billion this year. This includes a
£650 Cost of Living Payment for people on means-tested benefits.
In addition to this, 6 million eligible disabled people have
received a one-off, Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 to
help with additional costs.
We are reforming social care support to improve disabled people’s
access to care services and ensure integrated health and care
support. Increased funding for adult social care will also ensure
a fairer cost of care for both carers and patients. Improvements
in the accessibility of homes and transport are helping disabled
people to live independently and have a better standard of
living.
We supported the passage of the British Sign Language (BSL) Act
(2022) which recognises BSL as a language of England, Wales and
Scotland in its own right. A BSL Advisory Board is being
established to guide implementation of the Act from the
perspective of people who use BSL.
Recognising the need for wider societal change across all
industries, our 19 Disability and Access Ambassadors are using
their expertise and influence in business to help drive and
support changes in access for disabled consumers and employees.
Alongside this, we recognise the importance of co-ordinated
action across Government, reflecting the full range of services
and opportunities that deliver full participation. Our
Ministerial Disability Champions have been supporting and driving
forward work on disability in their respective departments.
We continue to engage with disabled people and stakeholders
through Disabled People’s Organisations, networks and relevant
organisations. This is to ensure that lived experience underpins
regular and coordinated action across Government. We remain
committed to improving the lives of disabled people and making
our society a more inclusive and accessible place for all
disabled people.
