§ Mr. BerryTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the Government will respond to the final report of the disability rights taskforce. [117387]
§ Ms HodgeThe final report of the Disability Rights Taskforce, "From Exclusion to Inclusion", was published on 13 December 1999. The Government has already announced that they intend to legislate to address the Taskforce's recommendations on education, introducing significant new civil rights for disabled children and students in school, further, higher and adult education. We issued a public consultation paper on the measures to be included in the legislation on 17 March 2000.
Further to the response to the education recommendations, the Government have issued today an interim response to the Taskforce's report, which is available on the Government's Disability website at www.disability.gov.uk or from the DDA Help line on 0345 622 633. Copies have been placed in the House Libraries. The interim response covers a range of the Taskforce's recommendations in the areas of local government, health and social services, housing and the environment and participation in public life.
The Taskforce made a number of recommendations that require changes to the Disability Discrimination Act and the Government are still considering these. A final response to the report will be made in due course.