Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1718298

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26429
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2024 answer text <p>DCMS has been a member of the Disability Confident scheme since 2017 and had its accreditation as a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-confident-guidance-for-levels-1-2-and-3/level-3-disability-confident-leader" target="_blank">Disability Confident Leader</a> renewed in April 2024. Activity to support our membership of the scheme, and disabled colleagues more generally, is mainstreamed into the work of the People and Workplace team including health &amp; safety, recruitment, HR policy, inclusion and career progression.</p><p>During the time that DCMS has been part of the scheme the proportion of disabled colleagues has increased from 8% in 2021 to 12.2% in 2023 (2024 data not yet published). DCMS won a Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative award for Creating Disability Confident Recruiters in 2023 and analysis of our recruitment data for 2023/24 shows that a higher proportion of disabled candidates were successful at the sift stage compared to the proportion that applied. Analysis of our retention data shows no difference between retention rates for staff with a declared disability and those without. To maximise retention we provide workplace adjustments, access to supportive staff networks, an employee assistance programme and targeted development for people with declared disabilities to ensure they can thrive in their career at DCMS.</p><p>Further steps we are taking include:</p><ul><li><p>Operating fortnightly application and interview advice workshops to support candidates.</p></li><li><p>Increased promotion of reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and education of recruitment panels on how to support reasonable adjustments.</p></li><li><p>Developing an inclusive recruitment workshop for recruitment panels.</p></li><li><p>Launching a sponsorship programme for people with disabilities.</p></li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 22/05/2024 11:04:03 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718299

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26430
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The department has been a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) member since 2017 and has ‘DCS Leader’ status. In line with the requirements of DCS, the department has supported staff with career progression through, for example, ‘Beyond Boundaries’, which is a cross-government, development programme and has ensured that its approach to recruitment is inclusive.</p><p> </p><p>The department does not have officials directly supporting the DCS. The principle of the scheme is to be embedded within the department’s internal Human Resource polices and processes.</p><p> </p><p>The department’s Diversity &amp; Inclusion Strategy 2022/2026 is driven by evidence of where to support staff, including those with disabilities. The department evaluates the impact of this strategy annually to identify areas for improvement and celebrate success.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 23/05/2024 13:25:43 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718300

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept id	215
answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
hansard heading	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26431
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2024 answer text <p>The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is a Disability Confident Leader. While there are no dedicated roles working on Disability Confident, several teams lead work to support the scheme. This includes the recruitment team that ensures activity is compliant with the scheme, and all recruiting managers are provided with information on how to apply the scheme. The department monitors data regularly to ensure that the scheme is effectively applied. DESNZ provides prospective candidates with information on reasonable adjustments that can be made in line with our legal obligations. The department’s Disability Confident self-assessment has been validated and is regularly reviewed.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 22/05/2024 11:54:47 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718301

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26432
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Defra has achieved Level 3 (Leader) of the Disability Confident scheme, this achievement is renewed every 3 years and we are currently working towards the renewal for 2024.</p><p> </p><p>Although not working directly on the scheme, our Director General for Strategy leads as a senior Disability Champion, along with 2 Deputy Directors as Deputy Disability Champions, and they support and champion the requirements of the Disability Confident scheme within Defra.</p><p> </p><p>These appointments are as recommended by the Disability Confident scheme provisions and additionally there is a Defra group Disability Board, chaired by the Executive Champion. This Board’s role is to ensure that actions and plans are in place and regularly reviewed to meet the provisions of the Disability Confident scheme and wider action to support employees with disabilities, impairments and long term medical conditions across the department.</p><p> </p><p>Over the last 3 years disability representation across Defra group has increased from 14.3% to a representation rate of 17.2%. Within core Defra the current representation rate is 16.8% which is in line with the current disability target representation of the UK working age population.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 23/05/2024 16:13:51 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718302

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>DLUHC is a Disability Leader at Level 3 and we have ongoing work to detail and monitor our progress regarding Disability Confidence, this includes improving accessibility of recruitment, providing learning &amp; development opportunities for disabled staff and building a more inclusive workplace culture for disabled staff.</p><p>We look at a range of data sets to assess the effectiveness of this work including recruitment and turnover data and People Survey responses. The staff who work on this initiative do so as part of their wider responsibilities.</p> answering member constituency North Dorset answering member printed Simon Hoare question first answered 23/05/2024 13:37:05 answering member 4494 label Biography information for Simon Hoare
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718303

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26434
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is a committed Disability Confident employer and takes several steps to support this initiative. Not one single individual works solely on this area of work, with the remit spread across individuals within HR (including Recruitment, Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Talent, and Culture and Inclusion), as well as line managers and staff networks.</p><p> </p><p>All recruiting managers are provided with information on applying the Disability Confident scheme during recruitment, and our dedicated recruitment team ensures compliance with Civil Service Recruitment Principles and centrally approved schemes like Disability Confident. We regularly monitor data to ensure the scheme's effective application and measure its impact. Prospective candidates are informed about reasonable adjustments available during the recruitment process, in line with our legal obligations, to ensure fairness and inclusivity.</p><p> </p><p>DSIT achieved Disability Confident Leader (DCL) (Level 3) status in February 2024, validated by an independent organisation, and our efforts include making workplace adjustments, providing disability awareness training, and encouraging open discussions about disabilities. The effectiveness of our efforts is assessed through continuous monitoring and feedback, inclusive recruitment practices, and engagement with the Voluntary Reporting Framework. We will look to review the effectiveness of our efforts periodically following the achievement of DCL status.</p><p> </p><p>Future steps involve enhancing policies and practices based on best practices and stakeholder feedback and strengthening our engagement with the Voluntary Reporting Framework to better monitor and report on disability inclusion, mental health, and wellbeing.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 23/05/2024 10:59:18 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718304

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Department for Transport: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26435
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>DfTc was reaccredited as a Disability Confident Level 3 status “leader” in April 2024. There are no officials working directly to support this scheme. The activities that support the scheme are embedded within our HR policies and practices and the broader accountabilities of HR professionals’ roles. The Disability Confident reaccreditation process includes an assessment of the effectiveness of DfTc’s work in supporting the recruitment and retention of disabled people. This assessment will be used to develop further steps to support the department's recruitment and retention of disabled people.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne question first answered 23/05/2024 07:50:13 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718305

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Department of Health and Social Care: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26436
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The Department proudly supports the Disability Confident Scheme, and has renewed its status as a Disability Confident employer. No single official works directly on the scheme, and in line with Civil Service guidance, we have moved away from standalone roles and teams to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion activities within existing human resource portfolios and roles. Activity to support the recruitment and retention of colleagues with a disability is undertaken across our recruitment, talent, and employee experience teams.</p><p>In the last calendar year, 11.3% of successful applicants applied under the Disability Confident Scheme. This is a slight increase from last year, at 10.9%. We additionally review our disability representation rates on a regular basis to monitor the impact of our recruitment practices and policy changes. We also have dedicated staff networks to support our disabled employees and celebrate achievements. Turnover of permanent employees who have declared they have a disability is currently approximately 6%, which is significantly lower than the average permanent staff turnover of colleagues who do not have a declared disability.</p><p>In 2023, we launched a new Workplace Adjustments policy, process, and passport. The new process is designed to ensure everyone in the Department can access the support they need as easily and quickly as possible via a person-centred approach that identifies and seeks to remove workplace barriers.</p><p>We also delivered several talent schemes that can assist in supporting the retention and development of disabled colleagues. This includes Beyond Boundaries, a 12-month programme for the Senior Executive Officer grade and below, to support candidates in reaching their full potential. As part of the programme, to support disability positive action, last year we ringfenced six job places out of 30, based on the proportionality of our disabled workforce, the People Survey, and recruitment data. We expect to take similar action this year.</p><p>In addition, the Future Leaders Scheme (FLS) is a 12-month accelerated development scheme for Grade 6 or 7 colleagues, who have the potential to progress to the Civil Service’s most senior and critical leadership roles. There is an option for those candidates who declare a disability or long-term health condition, or both, to enrol on the Disability Empowers Leadership Talent Association (DELTA) integrated scheme. In 2022, we had four candidates participate in DELTA out of the 21 successful FLS candidates, and two out of 26 in 2021, as per the data from the Cabinet Office. It should be noted that due to the sensitive nature of the programmes, not all participants are comfortable in being open about participation in DELTA, especially those with disabilities who have yet to disclose this to their colleagues or managers.</p><p>Finally, the Department’s mutual mentoring programme encourages underrepresented groups, including colleagues with disabilities, to mentor senior civil service colleagues to help increase the engagement and retention of underrepresented staff, and increase cultural intelligence in senior leaders.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 24/05/2024 13:30:25 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718306

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26437
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The enablement of the Disability Confident scheme is embedded throughout the employee lifecycle, and the teams that support the employee lifecycle.  This is in line with the Ministry of Justice’s new HR operating model whereby strategic Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) activity is mainstreamed into the department’s HQ People Function.  This approach assures that any related Ministry of Justice workforce activity is aligned to Civil Service reform priorities and the strategic objectives of the Civil Service People Plan and Civil Service D&amp;I Strategy, including recent, updated Ministerial guidance on EDI activity in the Civil Service.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice’s approach to the delivery of the Civil Service People Plan and Civil Service D&amp;I Strategy includes the ongoing assessment of work to support recruitment and retention of disabled staff. The Ministry of Justice has been taken part in the Disability Confident scheme since 2017.</p><p> </p><p>Further steps to recruit and retain disabled staff that are aligned to the Disability Confident scheme include:</p><ul><li><p>Information in job adverts about the Disability Confident scheme, how to request a reasonable adjustment to the application process and the Disability Confident interview scheme, which provides candidates with an option to “opt-in” to be considered for an interview as a disabled candidate if they meet the minimum criteria for the role.</p></li><li><p>The Ministry of Justice provides individual focused support to ensure our disabled staff have workplace adjustments they require, including an in-house workplace adjustment service. The department seeks to continually review the effectiveness of this offer.</p></li><li><p>The Ministry of Justice values the talent of all staff, including those with a disability. The department participates in the Civil Service ‘Future Leaders Scheme’ Disability Empowers Leadership Talent (DELTA) scheme and is piloting a new in-house talent offer for disabled staff in 2024.</p></li></ul> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 23/05/2024 12:39:42 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718309

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Cabinet Office: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
uin	26438
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Cabinet Office successfully accomplished Disability Confident (DC) level 3 leader status in February 2024. We have been Disability Confident in Level 3 for the last 4 years. We continue to work closely with the Business Disability forum that validated our DC and are working through our recommendations in all areas.</p><p>Cabinet Office takes a departmental approach to Disability Confidence to embed core areas across the department. Some examples of officials supporting this are the Workplace Adjustments Team and the Recruitment Team. All colleagues involved in the end to end process of recruitment campaigns undertake activities that support the scheme such as Vacancy Managers, HR Business Partners and Civil Service Resourcing colleagues.</p><p>The effectiveness of that work in supporting the scheme in both recruitment and retention was postively reflected in the feedback as part of the assessment in the Disability Confident Scheme. The re-accreditation of Disability Confidence Level 3 Leader status demonstrates the effectiveness of all the work we do in the department.</p><p>All areas received positive feedback and also some recommendations to support the development of those areas. We will be working through the recommendations from the validator to continue to be a leader in Disability Confident.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 23/05/2024 15:37:56 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes