Minutes of the APPG for Disability (Open Meeting) 13Th July 2017

Minutes of the APPG for Disability (Open Meeting) 13th July 2017

2-3pm, Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, Palace of Westminster

1.0Dr Cameron’s (Chair) welcome:

Dr Cameron informed attendees that she had recently had a productive debate in parliament on the impact of Brexit on services for disabled people;responded to by the minister, Penny Mordaunt. She reminded attendees that Brexit is also about people, about where we want our society to be and ensuringit is fully inclusive and legislation is based on equality principles.

2.0Presentation by Professor Kim Hoque from the Warwick Business School:

Key recommendations from the APPG’s Inquiry Report “Ahead of the Arc”

Professor Hoque explained the main aim of the inquiry:to assess progress towards the government’s 2015 election manifesto commitment to halve the disability employment gap by 2020. At current rates of progress, it would take until at least 2065 to meet this target. The report presents a series of findings and recommendations. Of particular note to this meeting are those regarding disabled people’s entrepreneurship and self-employment and public sector procurement:

• Disabled entrepreneurs do not feel they are well supported by mainstream networks, such as the Federation of Small Businesses and local chambers of commerce.

• These large mainstream business networks should partner with DPOs (Disabled People’s Organisations) to enable their expertise to be brought to the wider audience.
• There are shortcomings in terms of what disabled entrepreneurs are being offered by Innovate UK and the Business Bank. They do not collect statistics on applications or success rates by disability.
• Innovate UK and the Business Bank should be required to monitor whether their services are being accessed by disabled people and actively promote their services to disabled people.
• The government should leveragepublic sector procurement by stipulating that contracts will only be granted to firms that commit to improving disabled people's employment prospects.
• Wider use of the Social Value Act 2012 andthe public sector equality duty are advocated.

3.0Presentation by Alex Williams, Deputy Director, Sector Deals, Industrial Strategy Directorate, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS):

Alex attended in place of the government minister Margot James, who sent her apologies. He spoke about elements of the Green Paper, “Building Our Industrial Strategy”relevant to recommendations in “Ahead of the Arc”:

• Launched in January, The Green Paper had a three month consultation period.1900 responses were received which the department is in the process of analysing. The White Paper should be ready by the end of the year.

• The Green Paper set out the vision that this would be a strategy that improves living standards and productivity across the whole of the economy for everyone who interacts with wider economy.
• Alex was permitted to give onlylimited detailsregarding what the strategy might look like, what it might be aiming for and how the government articulates the drive for UK-wide economic success. He was however, able to comment onrecommendations in “Ahead of the Arc” in relation to the Green Paper:
• He noted theclear recommendation in “Ahead of the Arc” about access to research and development grants for disabled people. One developmentre. the Industrial Strategy is to launch the industrial extracted challenge fund, which picks up on the fact that while our science base and research is very much world leading, sometimes the UK economy is slow to commercialise that research.
• A recommendation in“Ahead of the Arc” around business growth and support, and noting some of the issues highlighted with Innovate UK and the British Business Bank – Alex said he would definitely reinforce this to colleagues. They have already announced an additional investment into the British Business Bank of over £400 million. Linked to which, ongoing work led by the treasury, is a review into capital that helps support SMEs to grow and look at different sources of finance.
• The Green Paper set out a point of consultation on its widening and strengthening the use of a balanced score card approach to public sector tendering.

Sector specific deals:

• Clear acknowledgment from the government that businesses and people who interact with certain sectors of the economy know how best those sectors can thrive.
• An open challenge to any part of the economy to come forward with a compelling proposal to government on how their sector can improve its productivity and its offer to the wider economy.
• Three sectors for which Alex’s team would like input from the disabled community: artificial intelligence, industrial digitisation and the life sciences sector. He strongly encourages people to get in touch.

4.0Dr Cameron’s comments:

• Prof. Hoque’s presentation on the All Party Parliamentary Group’s inquiry report outlines what we feel to be the key areas where government must act in terms of ensuring that they make active strides towards having the disability employment gaps. Followed by Alex Williams’ update on the industrial strategy, we can very clearly see where the two can marry in terms of making strides.
• The Speaker’s Internship Programme has helped people from many different backgrounds to gain experience of Parliament. Pleased to inform attendees that with support from our Speaker John Bercow and from London City Bridge Trust, we have made some progress in terms of making Parliament a role model for inclusiveness and are extending the Speaker’s Internship Programme, to ensure that there are a number of additional places available. We will ensure that people with disabilities and mental health issues are able to take up those places.

5.0Comments and questions from the floorregarding the presentations:

• Point raised regarding public sector tendering and jobs for disabled people. Alex Williams agreed to take the comments back to his team and to send a written response to the APPG for Disability.
• Comment to Alex Williams: the industrial strategy and national infrastructure plan may not even be legal documents, or may be open to legal challenge. The public sector equality duty requires that all policies and programmes are put through the prism of fairness and equality. Why was there a complete omission of equalities in the drawing up of these documents, and what will the circumstances be when the government responds to its consultations? Will they ensure that fairness flows throughout them and that disabled people are mentioned specifically?
• Alex agreed totake away the point, that if the Department of BEIS publish an Industrial Strategy without that due consideration, then it will not be a fit for purpose document.

• Comment that the Industrial Strategy should also include inclusive/accessible apprenticeships. Prof Hoque responded that he was in agreement and it should be a requirement of public sector contracts.

• Comment that what is absent from this government is a coherent vision for disability that cuts across departmental agendas. We are not seeing a joined up picture of how government is going to facilitate the participation of disabled people, and allow us to contribute what disabled people want. A further suggestion of developing “inclusive towns or cities” was made.

6.0Open Meeting closed