Oral Answers to Questions

Eric Ollerenshaw Excerpts

Monday 18th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North) (Con)]

14. What recent steps he has taken to increase employment opportunities for disabled people.

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

15. What recent steps he has taken to increase employment opportunities for disabled people.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Maria Miller)]

The Government are absolutely committed to ensuring that disabled people have the same opportunities as everybody else to reach their potential in work. The Work programme, Jobcentre Plus, Work Choice and Access to Work provide a range of support to do that. I announced on Monday 11 July the Government’s response to Liz Sayce’s review of specialist disability employment programmes. We have a consultation running until 17 October and I urge everybody to participate in it.

--- Later in debate ---

[Maria Miller]

I thank my hon. Friend for drawing my attention to such good work in his constituency. I shall certainly consider trying to visit if I am able to. He is absolutely right that we should focus on the individual rather than on the institution—that is a common theme coming out of the Sayce review.

[Eric Ollerenshaw]

May I ask the Minister something that the disabled in my constituency ask me? Once the disabled have got jobs, what support and advice will there be for employers so that they can maintain the disabled in those jobs?

[Maria Miller]

We already have in place Access to Work, which provides just the sort of support that my hon. Friend is talking about, but all too often that support is, perhaps, focused on the job rather than on the individual. One of the reforms that the Sayce review is talking about is how we can make sure that Access to Work is focused on the individual and not just on particular jobs. In some instances, however, employers are involved in co-funding, so this issue needs to be looked at with care. We are looking at it in our consultation.