Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the National Disability Strategy published on 28 July 2021, which of her Department's commitments in that strategy that have not been paused as a result of legal action have (a) been fully, (b) been partially and (c) not been implemented.

In January 2022, the High Court declared the National Disability Strategy (NDS) was unlawful because the UK Disability Survey, which informed it, was held to be a voluntary consultation that failed to comply with the legal requirements on public consultations.

The former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and former Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport had two actions included in the National Disability Strategy that would now fall within the remit of Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). These included:

● Challenge UKRI and other research stakeholders to use future innovation challenges to accelerate innovation in assistive technologies; and

● Explore how to improve accessibility of private sector websites.

These actions are ongoing and have not yet been fully implemented.

We remain fully committed to supporting disabled people in the UK through creating more opportunities, protecting their rights and ensuring they fully benefit from, and can contribute to, every aspect of our society. To support this, DSIT will be providing further details of our recent achievements to improve disabled people’s lives in the forthcoming Disability Action Plan consultation due for publication in the summer.

Ahead of this, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work will write providing a list of these achievements and will place a copy in the House Library.