Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are currently engaging in dialogue with organisations, employers and individuals to guarantee best practice throughout the Access to Work scheme.

The Department for Work and Pensions has conducted a series of meetings and workshops this year with users, disabled people's organisations, employers and other experts to ensure that Access to Work builds on its success in a way that is sustainable and ensures that we can help as many disabled people to fulfil their potential in the workplace as possible.

It is right that larger employers make a contribution to supporting their staff, but we are looking more widely at how we can better support employers to recruit and retain disabled people. We have already made a significant concession on cost share by exempting small employers from cost share, potentially saving businesses with fewer than 50 staff up to £2,400 for each employee who uses the scheme.