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Written Question
Employment: Disability
Tuesday 20th January 2026

Asked by: Chris Kane (Labour - Stirling and Strathallan)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, further to the answer to UIN 92453 of 21 November 2025, what further assessment will be made of the Disability Confident scheme, and what action will be taken to assess employees and applicants experiences as part of this process.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 15 January 2026 I announced more details about the reforms to the Disability Confident Scheme.

Proposed changes include:

  • Reducing membership duration at Level 1 from three years to two and removing the option to renew at this level to drive progression through the scheme.
  • Introducing tailored guidance and proportionate evidence requirements so smaller businesses can participate fully and confidently.
  • Expanding peer‑to‑peer support, shared learning, and practical resources to help employers make the most of the scheme.
  • Ensuring disabled people’s voices shape scheme guidance and development.


We are planning a proportionate assessment of the different strands of the upcoming reforms: this is likely to include qualitative interviews to get insights from employers and employees, conducting short surveys, and gathering feedback on specific processes and products to iteratively improve and adapt.

Written Question
Unemployment: Stirling and Strathallan
Tuesday 15th October 2024

Asked by: Chris Kane (Labour - Stirling and Strathallan)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of recent trends in levels of economic inactivity in Stirling and Strathallan constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

  • The Government has made clear that we consider the current rate of inactivity to be unacceptably high. With nearly 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness and the last Parliament seeing the biggest increase in economic inactivity in forty years, our inactivity rate is above pre-pandemic levels at 21.9% for May-July 2024 and, unlike most major economies, our overall employment rate has failed to recover to its pre-pandemic level. In Stirling and Strathallan constituency the estimated economic inactivity level amongst 16-64 year olds stood at 11,700 from April 2023-March 2024.

  • This is why we have set an ambition to get to an 80% employment rate, alongside raising living standards and tackling insecurity at work. We have announced our intention to publish a White Paper which will set out the Government’s planned changes to tackle economic inactivity, support people into good work and help them to progress.

  • The White Paper will set out fundamental reforms including:

o A new public employment and careers service to help get more people into work, and on in their work.

o New, bespoke joined-up work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, with input from mayors, local councils, the NHS, businesses, colleges and the voluntary sector to deliver real employment opportunities for local people

o A youth guarantee for all people aged 18 to 21 to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or employment support

Written Question
Employment: Rural Areas
Tuesday 15th October 2024

Asked by: Chris Kane (Labour - Stirling and Strathallan)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help increase levels of workforce economic activity in rural areas.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government considers the current rate of inactivity to be unacceptably high. With nearly 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness and the inactivity rate above pre-pandemic levels at 21.9% for May-July 2024, unlike most major economies, our overall employment rate has failed to recover to its pre-pandemic level.

This is why we have set a long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate. We will publish a white paper which sets out further details on our plans to tackle economic inactivity, support people into good work, and help them to progress in work. The Get Britain Working White Paper will build on manifesto commitments, setting out how fundamental reform will be delivered in three, interconnected parts:

o A new public employment and careers service to help get more people into work, and on in their work.

o New, bespoke joined-up work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, led by Mayors and local authorities to address the needs of their communities.

o A youth guarantee for all people aged 18 to 21.