Published in December 2023, the report by the cross-party committee of MPs warned the Government “has not learnt lessons” from the concerns raised over the development of the NDS and its efforts to engage with Disabled people are “perceived to be superficial”.
WEC described the Government’s NDS as a “list of un-coordinated and largely pre-existing short-term policies” and called on ministers to “work with Disabled people to develop the strategy into a ten-year plan with clear targets”.
Responding to WEC, the Government said: “We recognise that more needs to be done so we have consulted on and published the Disability Action Plan, setting out the immediate action the Government will take in 2024 to improve Disabled people’s lives, laying the foundations for longer term change, and complementing the long-term vision set out in the Strategy.”
The Committee’s first of three reports based on its findings during an inquiry into the NDS concluded that instead of establishing a long-term vision to ‘transform the everyday lives of Disabled people’ the Government produced a “disability strategy in name only”, with Disabled people and their representative organisations having “little to no influence”.
In its response to WEC, the Government said it “is working hard to improve the evidence base on disability” adding: “DU's (Disability Unit’s) own research has shown significant gaps in the data and evidence on Disabled people in the UK”.
“Our assessment is that these issues with data quality and coverage are more pronounced and widespread in relation to disability than other protected characteristic areas. DU has a small team of specialist disability researchers and analysts focusing on improving the data and evidence on Disabled people.”
It added: “We will publish further updates on progress to deliver the Strategy’s commitments alongside our planned report on progress made on the Disability Action Plan, to provide a clear update across the Government’s disability agenda.”
Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP said: “In its response to the Committee’s first National Disability Strategy (NDS) report, the Government has said it is ‘fully committed to delivering the long-term vision in the Strategy’. It is vital that this statement is borne out in the months ahead through measurable progress and change for dDsabled people and the updates promised by ministers are provided to Parliament.
“The scale of the challenge when it comes to co-ordination and accountability across Government over the short and long term should not be underestimated. The Committee stands ready to scrutinise this process and ensure the commitment made in the NDS to ‘transform the everyday lives of Disabled people’ is fully realised.”