Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government which ministers have met representatives of the Business Disability Forum, whom they met, and on what dates since July 2024; and on which government bodies and advisory groups the Business Disability Forum is represented, and by whom.

The Minister for Social Security and Disability, Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, met with the Business Disability Forum’s Director of Policy and Research, Angela Matthews and Director of Operations, Adrian Ward, at a roundtable event hosted by Scope on 11 September 2024. He has also met with Business Disability Forum’s CEO Diane Lightwood on multiple occasions: an introductory meeting with Disability Charities Consortium co-chairs on 17 July 2024, at the Labour Party Conference on 24 September 2024, a meeting about Disability Confident Business Leaders Group at Caxton House on 28 October 2024, Disability Charities Consortium meetings on 11 December 2024 & 12 March 2025 and the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group meeting on 4 December 2024.

The Minister for Employment, Alison McGovern MP, met Business Disability Forum’s CEO Diane Lightfoot at the introductory meeting with Disability Charities Consortium co-chairs on 5 September 2024 and at the Disability Charities Consortium meetings on 11 December 2024 and 12 March 2025. The Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports, Gareth Thomas MP, has met Business Disability Forum’s CEO Diane Lightfoot at a meeting of the Lilac Review Steering Board on 17 September 2024.

The Prime Minister met CEO Diane Lightfoot at a large reception at 10 Downing Street to celebrate Small Business Saturday on 3 December 2024. CEO Diane Lightfoot and Director of Policy and Research Angela Matthews have also been on group calls and roundtables with Ministers alongside multiple other stakeholders, for example on the recent NHS Ten Year Plan roundtable.

The Government bodies, advisory and representative groups where Business Disability Forum is represented are the Lilac Review Steering Board (Diane Lightfoot), the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group (Diane Lightfoot), Disability Charities Consortium (Diane Lightfoot & Angela Matthews), Access to Work Expert Reference Group (Diane Lightfoot & Angela Matthews), the Office for National Statistics Assembly (Angela Matthews) and the Work and Health External Advisory Group (Diane Lightfoot & Angela Matthews).