International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Samantha Niblett Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd December 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams) on securing this timely debate, continuing her long-standing record, as the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) said, as a champion for disabled people in Parliament. I am looking forward to engaging with her regularly as Chair of the Committee, including on the safeguarding work that she rightly highlighted. I agree with her: my Department needs to drive disability inclusion across the whole of Government, remove barriers, and deliver access and inclusion to disabled people across all areas of everyday life.

[Samantha Niblett (South Derbyshire) (Lab)]

On Saturday I was fortunate to meet nine-year-old Alfred. Alfred has cerebral palsy, and his parents fight endlessly to get him the support he needs and is entitled to. He is determined to walk one day, and he recently took his first steps. People can follow his progress on his Team Alfred Facebook page. Will the Minister meet me, Alfred, and his parents to hear of their struggles and of how the system needs to change to make things fair for Alfred and others like him?

[Sir Stephen Timms]

I am pleased that my hon. Friend has met her constituent, and of course I would be glad to meet her, her constituent and his parents.

Let me set out some of the steps that we are taking towards our goal. First, we are working hard to provide better support for disabled people who want to work. My hon. Friend the Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth rightly referred to the “Get Britain Working” White Paper, published last week, through which we are determined to tackle that stubbornly large disability employment gap that my hon. Friend the Member for Glenrothes and Mid Fife referred to.

We will overhaul jobcentres. We want work, health and skills plans for every area, bringing together jobcentres, colleges, the NHS, local charities and others in each area to equip disabled people for the opportunities there. We will set up a disability employment panel so that we can consult properly with disabled people and their organisations as we firm up our plans for better employment support. As my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth said, the refrain is, “Nothing about us without us.”

The White Paper also announced an independent review, headed by Sir Charlie Mayfield, who used to run John Lewis, on how the Government and businesses can provide better support at work for people with disabilities and health impairments. I confirm to my hon. Friend that we fully recognise that some people, through ill health or disability, will not be working, and we will ensure that they have the support that they need, recognising the extra costs that she has highlighted.