Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish (1) the procedure, and (2) the timeline, for the sign-off of the draft National Strategy for Disabled People by (a) relevant lead officials in (i) the Cabinet Office, and (ii) the Department for Work and Pensions, (b) the relevant Cabinet Office Minister, (c) the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, (d) the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (e) Secretaries of State whose departments are affected by the strategy, and (f) the Prime Minister.

The National Strategy will be subject to the usual processes for collective agreement by ministers which are outlined in the Cabinet Manual. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place through Cabinet and its Committees is not normally shared publicly.

We’re working hard to deliver the National Strategy for Disabled People to support our ambition to level up opportunity and inclusivity, and will publish the strategy this year. It will be informed by insights from the lived experience of disabled people, focusing on the issues that disabled people say affect them the most in all aspects and phases of life, including employment, housing, education and transport.

The Cabinet Office Disability Unit, established in November 2019, is leading and coordinating this work at official level within Government, and also with external stakeholders. The unit has engaged widely across government departments to support the development of the National Strategy. No meetings have taken place with other government departments specifically to draft the National Strategy, but regular meetings have taken place to develop the Strategy. We are also working closely with the 13 Ministerial Disability Champions on the development of the National Strategy.

The Disability Unit has also engaged with a diverse range of external stakeholders through our Disability Charities Consortium, Regional Stakeholder Networks and UK Disability online survey. By 4th March, the survey had generated more than 14,800 responses from disabled people, carers and the wider public. Other engagement has included businesses and business organisations, regulators, academia, professional bodies and the Devolved Administrations.