Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2016 to Question 51516, whether he expects to achieve the commitment to halve the disability employment gap by (a) 2020, (b) 2025 and (c) 2030.

Following on from my reply to the Rt Hon Gentleman’s previous question on this matter, I would like to reiterate our commitment to halving the disability employment gap.

Our recently published Work, Health and Disability Green Paper marks the start of action we intend to take to do so, both in the short and long term.

The Green Paper explores how action is required by many different partners on a number of fronts. It seeks to build consensus on the change needed across society. It also asks questions on ideas 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.

We are not setting a deadline for completing this work, in recognition that achieving real and lasting change to the employment prospects of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, will require a collaborative approach from government, employers, the third sector and health care professionals. This is why we are consulting on the best approach to reform and the most accurate measures of success.