Disability: Black and Minority-ethnic Disabled People

Lord Wigley Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd May 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hanham]

My Lords, they are indeed recognised as a community, and I am aware that it is a community on which people concentrate. There should be access to information from them about their needs.

[Lord Wigley]

My Lords, the noble Baroness will be aware that the report has suggested very strongly that there is a danger of the needs of black and minority-ethnic disabled people falling between the remits of various departments, including the Government Equalities Office, the Office for Disability Issues and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Why is that happening? If there is to be an implementation plan, will she give particular attention to finding a way to ensure that that aspect is addressed?

[Baroness Hanham]

My Lords, I think that aspect will be addressed by the disability strategy. We already have advice from the black and minority-ethnic groups. The strategy very much takes account of their needs and it then will be a requirement under it that local government, the health service—the people who are commissioning services—know where the people are who need them and can identify what they require individually. The short answer, again, is that that will be taken into account across government in the disability strategy.