Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee

Recommendation 8

First Report - The National Disability Strategy Published 6 Dec 2023 Paragraph 39 Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work should immediately update Parliament and disability stakeholders with specific timescales for delivery on all outstanding actions in the National Disability Strategy.

From: Women and Equalities Committee, First Report - The National Disability Strategy (HC 34), paragraph 39, 6 December 2023

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 6 March 2024.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it remains committed to the National Disability Strategy and the Disability Action Plan, and does not take up the Committee's recommendations to give the Disability Unit the final say on disability policy or to create a new national advisory group.

  • On a longer-term strategy, the government says it is "fully committed to delivering the long-term vision in the Strategy" and points to the Disability Action Plan, which sets out immediate actions for 2024.
  • On the Disability Unit's role, it says it "would not be appropriate for the DU to have the final say on all disability policy", describing this as a shared responsibility across departments.
  • On a national advisory group, it says the recommendation "would effectively replicate the DU's existing stakeholder engagement framework", and describes the existing framework.
  • On updating Parliament, it says it "will publish further updates" on the Strategy's commitments alongside its planned report on the Disability Action Plan. On the UN Committee, it says it agreed to take part in a dialogue in March 2024.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error