§ 16. Mr. Mark Oaten (Winchester)If she will make a statement on the consultation process undertaken in connection with the new deal for sick and disabled people. [47483]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security (Mr. John Denham)The Government have four strategies for helping disabled people who want to work. We are providing the active help and encouragement that people with disabilities need to move into work under the new deal for disabled people; taking obstacles to work out of the benefits system; making sure that work pays; and promoting radical change in the workplace to ensure equality and opportunity.
In developing the new deal, we have been consulting closely with disabled people and the organisations that represent them, and with other interested parties. We have ensured consultation at each key stage of the programme's development, and we will continue to do so.
§ Mr. OatenDoes the Minister share the concern felt by many disability groups about the fact that, of all the new deal programmes, those aimed at encouraging disabled people to return to work are taking the longest to get off the ground? We were promised that the contracts for the pilot schemes would be awarded in June, but to date there has been no announcement. Can the Minister reaffirm his Government's commitment to making progress, so that disability groups realise that getting disabled people back to work is at the top rather than the bottom of the Government's agenda?
§ Mr. DenhamIt is not true that disabled people are at the bottom of the Government's agenda. The new deal pilots are very important, as we need to establish what measures will be most effective in enabling disabled people to work.
We received more than 120 bids in the first tranche of bidding for the new deal pilot projects. We aim to let the first contract shortly, and I hope that we shall be able to make an announcement very soon.