§ Mr. BerryTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact on his Department's policies of the goods and services provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to be implemented in October 1999. [71270]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Department has already taken positive steps to meet the needs of disabled people using its services—for example, the provision of information in alternative formats such as Braille where requested—and is improving access to its buildings. These efforts will continue to ensure compliance with the law and wherever possible, best practice.
The Department has in place guidance on mainstreaming to ensure that all new and existing policies are assessed for any adverse impact on different groups. Policies must comply with the law, and action taken to remove or reduce any adverse impact on these groups where necessary. This complements the guidance "Policy Appraisal for Equal Treatment" which the Cabinet Office issued to all Government Departments last November.