Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy published 28 July 2021, what recent steps the Disability Unit has taken on improving the availability, quality, relevance and comparability of government disability data through (a) a cross-government group responsible for overseeing and implementing data improvement plans and (b) a panel of experts on the lived experience of disabled people to assess findings from research and to provide advice on data improvement projects.

The Disability Unit has analysed existing government disability data, and designed a framework to guide departments’ disability data assessment and improvement activities.

The framework aims to improve the availability, quality, relevance, and comparability of government disability data. The Disability Unit is working with three government departments to pilot this disability data improvement framework throughout 2022.

The Disability Unit has commenced work to establish a panel of experts on the lived experience of disabled people to assess findings from research and to provide advice on data improvement projects.