Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government who is the responsible Minister for closing the disability employment gap; and how many staff are engaged in these efforts.

Chloe Smith MP is the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work. Her portfolio includes responsibility for supporting disabled people to get into and remain in work, to close the disability employment gap.

We do not hold details on the overall number of staff engaged across the broad range of initiatives that are contributing to closing the disability employment gap. Staff from across the DWP who are responsible for supporting disabled people into work include Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) and Disability Employment Adviser Leaders (DEALs), Work Coaches, and National Employer Partnership Team. From April 2021, DWP began increasing the number of DEAs to 1,000 and DEALs to 115 across Great Britain. By January 2022 DEA numbers had increased to almost 900, nearly double the number in place a year earlier; and over 100 DEA leaders.