Found: Andrew Lewin (Labour; Welwyn Hatfield) Mr Gagan Mohindra (Conservative; South West Hertfordshire) Joe Powell

Found: ); Chris Curtis; Maya Ellis; Mr Will Forster; Naushabah Khan; Andrew Lewin; Mr Gagan Mohindra; Joe Powell

Found: REPORT STAGE Wednesday 18 June 2025 194 _NC155 Phil Brickell Joe Powell Lloyd Hatton Sir Andrew Mitchell

Found: _NC155 Phil Brickell Joe Powell Lloyd Hatton Sir Andrew Mitchell Kirith Entwistle Alex Sobel Chris

Found: Lauren Edwards Lloyd Hatton Victoria Collins Mr Lee Dillon Sarah Gibson Steve Race Tom Hayes Joe Powell

Found: Murphy Dr Jeevun Sandher Shaun Davies Amanda Martin Steve Yemm Lloyd Hatton Sarah Gibson Joe Powell

Found: Campbell Dr Jeevun Sandher Shaun Davies Amanda Martin Steve Yemm Lloyd Hatton Sarah Gibson Joe Powell

Found: Campbell Dr Jeevun Sandher Shaun Davies Amanda Martin Steve Yemm Lloyd Hatton Sarah Gibson Joe Powell

Found: Campbell Dr Jeevun Sandher Shaun Davies Amanda Martin Steve Yemm Lloyd Hatton Sarah Gibson Joe Powell

London APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Director of Competitiveness, BusinessLDN Also in Attendance: Luke Taylor MP Dawn Butler MP Joe Powell

Fair Banking APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: the APPG on Fair Banking | Minutes Attendees Lloyd Hatton MP Lord Cromwell Luke Charters MP Joe Powell

Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Attendees Joe Powell MP Luke Charters MP Lloyd Hatton MP Marie Rimmer MP Rachael Blake

<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">I can't underline enough</span> the importance of that new unit, the value of that evidence unit. But this report explores the potential to improve the disability confident employer scheme, which has come up this afternoon and, indeed, in your report. I think that it's important to say that this report, published today, has been welcomed by the taskforce co-producers, and that does include those members who've been mentioned today: Professor&nbsp;Debbie Foster,&nbsp;Damian Joseph Bridgeman, Dr Natasha Hirst,&nbsp;Willow Holloway and Joe Powell, all contributing generously of their time, expertise and lived experience to this research. I hope you will read the report and see how we are going to use this in terms of discussions with the UK Government about the disability confidence scheme.</p>
<p>It is important, just in terms of the time that we have left in terms of my response, that we fully support the committee's views that public sector bodies in Wales must lead by example in helping reducing the disability employment gap, and, as Jane Dodds has said, this is about leadership. Our employers have got to take the lead, with the public sector at the forefront. I also thank Hefin David and Sioned Williams for, again, reminding us of the positive lessons from the&nbsp;Engage to Change programme, and acknowledging that the Government, from the First Minister to Ministers who actually engaged and visited Engage to Change, that we have actually already started to mainstream supported employment provision, job coaching, into our existing Jobs Growth Wales programme, and provided greater flexibility within our Communities for Work Plus programme, ensuring this can help individuals overcome barriers to employment.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I also think it's very important that we look at the disabled people's employment champions, looking at organisations, such as ELITE,&nbsp;DFN Project SEARCH and further education institutions who offer supported internships for disabled people. Again, it's important that we recognise the specialised job coaching support for people with learning disabilities, as Hefin David has raised.</p>

<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">as well as the lack</span> of clear and robust targets and no new funding for implementing the actions. Similarly, Joe Powell, chief executive of All Wales People First,&nbsp;who chaired the disability rights taskforce's access to justice working group said, 'In order for this plan to succeed, we need the appropriate investment into the infrastructure and services to make this aspiration a reality. We need clear targets about how we're going to achieve this. Without&nbsp;these, it's very difficult to see how the plan will make a difference to&nbsp;disabled people in Wales.'</p>
<p>Jane Dodds referenced&nbsp;Damian Bridgeman, who chaired the&nbsp;disability rights taskforce's&nbsp;housing and community working group. He said the draft document was 'a smokescreen' rather than a plan.&nbsp;He pointed to the absence of new money and no mechanism to track delivery of the action plan further, adding,</p>
<p>'Disabled people have been reviewed to death. What we need is action – and there’s none of that here.'</p>
<p>He further criticised the lack of action on some of the most practical, necessary recommendations that came out of the co-production phase of the process, which he said</p>
<p>'never even made it into the final plan'</p>
<p>because the Welsh Government, 'doesn't know how to deliver them.'</p>
<p>The sector is also concerned that the UK Government's current Pathways to Work Green Paper proposals risk further disabling people in Wales by compounding poverty and exclusion, placing further pressures on devolved services, such as health and social care, and on the adequacy of funding through the Barnett formula.</p>
<p>In January, I presented the awards at the work and health programme celebration event in Wrexham.&nbsp;This employment support programme, launched by the previous UK Government and delivered initially by Remploy, then Maximus, with support from local charities, community organisations and public bodies, has been instrumental in helping disabled people, individuals with health conditions, and other groups to find and sustain employment.&nbsp;Although support will continue until July 2026 for all those who had already been referred to the programme, the programme was closed to new referrals on 30 September 2024.</p>
<p>Although the DWP has issued grant guidance for Wales for the UK Government's successor connect to work programme, this is yet to launch, potentially denying disabled people in Wales referral to an equivalent programme for a year or more.&nbsp;Third sector providers in Wales are also expressing evidenced concern that the new programme risks diluting and, therefore, reducing support for the many disabled and autistic people who want to work, but face the most complex barriers to employment, be they process driven, attitudinal, physical, technological, or just plain poor understanding and prejudice. As disabled people have told the cross-party groups on disability, on autism, and on deaf issues, their lack of employment is a consequence of these barriers and not of choice. Diolch.</p>