HL Deb 18 January 2000 vol 608 cc971-3

2.43 p.m.

Lord Ashley of Stoke

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to implement the main recommendations of the Disability Rights Task Force.

Baroness Blackstone

My Lords, I announced yesterday during the Second Reading of the Learning and Skills Bill that the Government will be bringing forward a Bill later this Session to give effect to the education recommendations of the Disability Rights Task Force. That will secure comprehensive civil rights for disabled people in school, further, higher and adult education. The Government are already taking forward a number of the task force's other recommendations and are considering the remainder.

Lord Ashley of Stoke

My Lords, I welcome that reply and the early action by the Government on the recommendations on education and their consideration. However, is my noble friend aware that Britain's 8½ million disabled people want more than that? The only hope they have for comprehensive civil rights is the implementation of all the proposals. Will my noble friend agree that the real problem is timing, especially as it is subject to the turbulent vagaries of politics? The best solution, in my opinion, would be to have a specific timetable for every single recommendation so that disabled people know where they are and, perhaps more importantly, the Government know where they are.

Baroness Blackstone

My Lords, I am sure that the Disability Rights Commission, the members of which were announced yesterday, will want to remind the Government constantly of the need to have as clear as possible a timetable for implementing the recommendations of the Disability Rights Task Force. However, my noble friend will be well aware that a number of the 150 recommendations of the task force require legislation. It is rather difficult for the Government to have a precise timetable with regard to legislation because it will depend a great deal on parliamentary pressures.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, as many of the recommendations are simply that a matter be included in future civil rights legislation, are the Government planning a general civil rights Bill on areas other than education, to which the Minister referred, and if so, what would be its timing?

Further to my Question last Tuesday, has the Minister noticed that recommendation 7(4) on guide dogs and taxis recommends that Section 37 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 be put into force immediately?

Baroness Blackstone

My Lords, with regard to legislation involving a civil rights Bill, I cannot give an answer to the noble Lord because the Government have not yet been able to make any decisions. We must remember that we received the task force's report only on 13th December. Clearly that matter will have to be looked at. The Government are considering all the recommendations and I hope to be able to let the House know, as that consideration proceeds, what decision the Government have made on that question.

I turn to the more specific point that the noble Lord raised about guide dogs and taxis: the Government are consulting on that matter and we have asked for responses by the end of March.

Lord Addington

My Lords, does the Minister agree, if we are talking about transport in particular, that it is absurd for a journey to be covered by only part of the regulation? With that in mind, will the Minister agree that a date for the access of all disabled people to train services should be introduced straightaway, as already exists for other types of transport, such as buses and coaches?

Baroness Blackstone

Yes, my Lords, I accept that point. There is incidentally also a strong case for ending the exclusion of transport from the DDA Part III rights currently in force. That will require primary legislation, but the Government will be consulting on that matter also.

Lord Morris of Manchester

My Lords, I am delighted by the Government's decision to implement the task force's substantive recommendations on education and by Bob Niven's appointment as Chief Executive of the Disability Rights Commission. But can my noble friend say whether any of the other key recommendations will be implemented in the present Parliament and, in particular, those on transport, on extending the Disability Discrimination Act to the uniformed services and on reducing the employment threshold below 15 or, preferably, removing it altogether?

Baroness Blackstone

My Lords, clearly I cannot say whether those many recommendations will be implemented within this Parliament. Those that require legislation are unlikely to be implemented within this Parliament because the Queen's Speech has already been made and we have a full legislative programme. Where matters do not require legislation, the Government will try to make progress and go ahead as fast as possible. My noble friend raised the specific issue of the small employers' exemption. We had a number of debates about that matter in the Bill setting up the Disability Rights Commission. We agreed that the threshold should be reduced over time. We have already lowered it from 20 to 15, but we want to make progress in partnership with all interested parties, bringing business with us as we go.

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, since we are told regularly by the Government Front Bench that the difference between; ask forces and non-departmental public bodies is that they are ephemeral, will the noble Baroness tell us when the task force to which she has just referred will be abolished?

Baroness Blackstone

My Lords, the task force has already been wound up with the appointment of the Disability Rights Commission.