Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick Excerpts

Monday 9th May 2016 Commons Chamber

[Justin Tomlinson]

So far, 22 MPs have held Disability Confident events, including a joint event between a Conservative MP and a Labour MP—there’s a future coalition for you. Some 515 employers have registered an interest in Disability Confident, up 169 since 23 March. We are getting over 100 registrations a month. This is all about creating additional opportunities for disabled people who are looking for work.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

What assessment has the Minister carried out into the £35 per week cut to ESA and its impact on levels of deprivation among disabled people?

[Justin Tomlinson]

When that was announced, a cumulative distributional analysis was also published that included the impacts of welfare spending, health spending, employment support and infrastructure investment, but let us not forget that only 1% of those on ESA were coming off that benefit—that was the case under our Government, the coalition Government and the former Labour Government. We have all tried to make changes but fundamental reform is needed, and that is what the Government will deliver.