Oral Answers to Questions

Justin Tomlinson Excerpts

Monday 21st November 2016 Commons Chamber

[David Mackintosh (Northampton South) (Con)]

3. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that employers are supported in recruiting and retaining disabled people.

[Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon) (Con)]

15. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that employers are supported in recruiting and retaining disabled people.

[Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con)]

18. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that employers are supported in recruiting and retaining disabled people.

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[Penny Mordaunt]

A lot of our bespoke expertise lies in the partner organisations we work with. If my hon. Friend contacts Sarah Holtham, who is the work coach at the Northampton jobcentre, she will facilitate a meeting with Deafconnect for him and his constituent. It also does a huge amount of work getting placements in the financial services sector, in particular with Nationwide, whose headquarters are in his constituency.

[Justin Tomlinson]

Following numerous successful Disability Confident events, we launched the small employer offer directly to engage, encourage and signpost new employers to take advantage of this often overlooked wealth of talent. Will the Minister update the House on the progress of this vital pilot?

[Penny Mordaunt]

As part of the small employer offer, we will introduce over 100 employment advisers to small employers, and the feedback we have had is that that is very welcome—in particular, for organisations that do not have their own human resources departments.

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[Penny Mordaunt]

I do not know whether this is an issue that the hon. Lady has raised before. I am sorry if I am not aware of the previous correspondence that she has had with the Department. I would be happy to meet her to discuss that.

[Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon) (Con)]

PIP continues to lead the way in identifying and supporting those with mental health conditions to a significantly greater degree than DLA, so what more can be done to signpost the people identified to additional support provided by the NHS, charities or the Government pilot?