Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress the Government has made to reduce the disability employment gap.

We recognise that the gap between the employment rates of disabled people and non-disabled people remains too large.

Last year the Work and Health Unit was established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with health conditions and disabilities, as well as improving support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving workforce.

The Unit has begun work to build the evidence base of what works to support disabled people and people with health conditions to obtain and remain in work.

We plan to produce a Green Paper later this year that will explore a range of ways to improve the prospects and transform the lives of disabled people and people with long term health conditions by removing barriers that prevent them from working, and helping ensure that they are able to obtain and remain in work.