§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidance he plans to issue in respect of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and what monitoring will be undertaken of its provisions. [21539]
§ Mr. BurtA brief guide to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was issued in November 1995 and further information material on the provisions of the Act will follow. There will be statutory guidance related to the definition of disability. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment will be issuing a code of practice relating to the employment provisions in the Act. The National Disability Council is currently consulting on its proposals for a code of practice relating to the rights of access to goods, facilities, services and property, which will be published by the Secretary of State in due course. All these items will be published in 19W time to allow employers and service providers to prepare themselves for the introduction of the new rights and duties.
The Government will monitor the effectiveness of the Act by a range of measures, including research. The National Disability Council is also under a specific duty to advise the Government on the operation of the Act, and can recommend changes if necessary.