Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to increase the number of employers that sign up to the disability confident scheme.

Staff in the DWP Disability Confident team are working constantly to engage with employers, run events and support the scheme. We have recently been working with Jobcentre Plus districts in Devon & Cornwall and South Yorkshire to identify new opportunities to engage with employers. The learning from this is currently being shared across Jobcentre Plus and should lead to a significant increase in employer sign-ups. Over 8,300 organisations are currently signed up to Disability Confident and this number continues to grow substantially.

The Disability Confident Business Leaders Group (BLG), comprising senior leaders from significant British businesses across all sectors, helps to increase engagement with employers and encourage and support them on their Disability Confident journeys. The group promotes the business benefits of disability employment and works with DWP officials to identify any changes or developments that will improve the effectiveness of the scheme.

In the public sector, with all main Government departments now signed up as Disability Confident Leaders we are turning focus on Local Authorities, Police, Fire Authorities and NHS Trusts. 75% of Local Authorities are already Disability Confident.