The Conservative Disability Group were delighted to welcome Maria Miller as the keynote speaker at the second annual colloquium. Ms Miller used her speech to highlight the three key themes to the Government’s disability agenda. These are: individual control, realising aspirations and changing attitudes...
Maria Miller reinforces three key themes to the Government’s disability agenda
The Conservative Disability Group were delighted to welcome Maria Miller as the keynote speaker at the second annual colloquium held at the Ismaili centre in South Kensington. Ms Miller used her speech to highlight the three key themes to the Government’s disability agenda. These are: individual control, realising aspirations and changing attitudes. The Minister also highlighted the mutual nature of the Government’s approach stating, “Co-production is at the heart of our approach; working together, shoulder to shoulder. We are talking in possibilities rather than absolutes and I am absolutely determined to make sure disabled people continue to be fully involved in the changes we are making. This open approach can be unsettling as well as empowering, but it is worth it, because at the end of the process we will get better policy, based in the reality of disabled people’s lives.”
The Minister announced that she is looking to hear from as many disabled people as possible with a view to co-producing a completed strategy by Spring 2012.
The colloquium coincided with the publication of the United Kingdom’s first report to the United Nations which shows, amongst other things, that over 500,000 more disabled people are in work in Britain compared to the figures in 2000. It also highlights the £370 million that has been invested in accessible transport through the Access for All programme.
After the Minister’s speech, George Eustice MP chaired a question and answer session with questions being fielded on a wide range of issues from disabled employment to disability hate crime. Answering alongside Ms Miller were Lord Boswell, former chairman of the CDG and MPs, Paul Maynard and Robert Buckland. Of particular interest was the work that the Minister is doing through inter-ministerial groups in response to a question from Cllr Greg Stafford. These groups, set up on an issue by issue basis, often include seven or eight different departments and facilitate the consideration of issues such as disabled access, employment or education in all areas of governmental policy making.
The panel for the afternoon session of the colloquium saw Paul Maynard MP and George Eustice MP joined by David Congdon, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Mencap and Ruth Scott, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Scope. Both outlined the work and campaigns that their respective charities are currently undertaking before taking questions. Once again, a wide range of topics were covered with an emergence of a consensus that the Government’s “co-productive” approach was a positive one, but one that would take concerted and collaborative effort from all involved.
Speaking after the event, Mencap’s David Congdon said "The CDG's second annual disability colloquium was a valuable opportunity to discuss a variety of issues around the Government's proposals in the Welfare Reform Bill. It is important to bring together MPs, Peers, Councillors, former parliamentary candidates and other members of the Conservative Party, with a wide range of representatives from across the disability sector to debate issues around the reform of welfare.
It is important that any changes to the Welfare and benefits system help to empower people with a learning disability to live independently and have more choice over their lives. Mencap looks forward to continue working with the CDG on this and other issues into the future."
Ruth Scott from Scope commented, “I was delighted to be asked to return to the Conservative Disability Group’s colloquium again this year. As the Welfare reform Bill makes its way through Parliament, the discussion provided a real opportunity for disabled people and charities to debate the impact of welfare reform with Members of Parliament and wider members of the Conservative Party.
The CDG are doing some fantastic work to ensure that the interests of disabled people are at the heart of Conservative Party policy. Scope welcomes the opportunity to work with the Party, its MPs and the Government; and I look forward to attending next year’s colloquium.”