Oral Answers to Questions

Iain Stewart Excerpts

Monday 28th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con)]

12. What plans he has to publish a strategy on disability.

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

I will publish a discussion document in December to support debate, and a new disability strategy next year. Our vision is to enable disabled people to fulfil their potential. We will co-produce the strategy with disabled people and their organisations, focusing on the themes of realising aspirations, individual control, and changing attitudes and behaviours.

[Iain Stewart]

Has my hon. Friend assessed how many disabled people the Department will be able to support back into work as a result of the Government’s reforms?

[Maria Miller]

I am sure that the strategy we develop will include an action plan and that work will form an important part of it. The Work programme is already providing important support for disabled people to get into work. The further work that is being done with the Sayce review suggests that an additional 35,000 disabled people could be supported into work if we use the money that is there to support specialist disability employment more effectively.