Business of the House

Debate between Margaret Greenwood and Mark Spencer

Thursday 26th May 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mark Spencer]

The hon. Lady will be aware that local authorities can stop betting shops appearing on the high streets if they wish to deploy their powers to do so. She should lobby her local council to make sure that it does not grant permission to too many of them.

[Margaret Greenwood (Wirral West) (Lab)]

Access to Work provides practical advice and support for disabled people and their employers to help them to overcome work-related obstacles resulting from disability. It can support people in work, and help them to get into work. Support under the scheme can include communication support, support for interviews, help with travel costs and a support worker, British Sign Language interpreters, lipspeakers or note takers, and adaptations to people’s vehicles so that they can get to work. According to Scope, there are more than 4.7 million disabled people in work. In 2020-21, Access to Work provision was approved for about 36,000 people, a relatively small number. Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time for a debate on Access to Work to enable us to consider ways in which the scheme might be better publicised and access to it improved, so that more people might benefit from it?

[Mark Spencer]

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is present and has heard the hon. Lady’s question, but she will have an opportunity to put it to the Secretary of State directly during Work and Pensions questions on our first day back after the recess.