A designated disability minister will be appointed to each Government department to “champion disability inclusion and accessibility”, the Government has announced.
Work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms said the move aims to drive “real improvements” for disabled people, whom the ministers will be encouraged to engage with on a regular basis.
He told the Commons: “I am very pleased to be able to announce today the appointment of new lead ministers for disability in each Government department, they will represent the interests of disabled people, champion disability inclusion and accessibility within their departments.
“I’m going to chair regular meetings with them and will encourage them to engage directly with disabled people and their representative organisations, as they take forward their departmental priorities.
I look forward to this new group of lead ministers for disability together driving real improvements across Government for disabled people
“And I look forward to this new group of lead ministers for disability together driving real improvements across Government for disabled people.”
This came during an adjournment debate on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling raised concerns about “floating bus stops”, which have a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement.
Intervening, the MP for Torbay, who is registered blind, said: “The Government needs to ban floating bus stops.”
Sir Stephen said: “I do think this issue about floating bus stops is an important issue which we need to work across Government to reflect on.”
Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who led the debate, had earlier criticised the lack of accessibility for disabled people on trains.
The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP said: “Our train network does not have level access, and we heard Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson from the other place make this plea back in the summer, absolutely outrageous what she was put through.
“But I was absolutely shocked to find, when I had a presentation of the TransPennine route upgrade, that the rolling stock yet to be commissioned is not going to provide that level access.
“It’s absolute nonsense, it’s not even in the design of that procurement, so we must do better than this.”
