Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what change in the disability employment gap he expects between 2015 and 2020.

We are committed to halving the disability employment gap. We have seen almost 500,000 more disabled people in employment over the past three years. Over the same time we’ve seen the employment rate for disabled people increase by over 4 percentage points, where it now stands at 48 per cent.

We have a range of activity underway that is focused on the evidence gaps we have identified including access to services and levels of support we should offer. This will help us to develop new models of support to help people into work when they are managing a long term health condition or disability. We want all employers to be as supportive as possible so that everyone can go as far as their talents will take them.

But we know that there is much more that needs to be done, so that everyone who can work is given the right support and opportunities to do so.

This is why we have published “Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper”. It sets out the short-term action we intend to take to bring about change. It also asks questions on proposals for longer-term reform over this Parliament and beyond, so that our systems, sectors and social attitudes all work together to help achieve the ambition of halving the disability employment gap.

Halving the gap is a long term project and although the Government has an important role to play in leading the way and facilitating change, everyone needs to play their part, which is why we are launching this consultation.