Oral Answers to Questions

Virendra Sharma Excerpts

Wednesday 25th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Justin Tomlinson)]

I thank my hon. Friend who is a real champion for disability employment opportunities in his constituency. As part of our £30 billion plan for jobs, disability provision is embedded throughout our schemes, including in kick-start, the job entry targeted support scheme, sector-based academies, apprenticeships, the health and work programme, intensive personalised employment support and access to work. We remind employers that, under the Equality Act 2010, they must focus on ability, not health or disability.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab) [V]]

I will be hosting a national group of experts on decolonising the British curriculum in January 2021. Will the Secretary of State attend that event to listen to the expert testimonies from the academics regarding this important issue?

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Kemi Badenoch)]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. As I said in a recent debate on this topic, we do not accept the premise that the curriculum in this country is colonised. While I am always very interested in hearing the viewpoints about how we can improve the curriculum, there are certain premises that we simply will not accept.