Member News
The government has pledged to create a society with "fair changes and fair rules for everyone", in its response to a Commons work and pensions committee report.
There should be "no erosion" of existing levels of protection from discrimination for disabled peopled, and ministers stated their commitment to streamlining current discrimination law.
In April, the work and pensions committee found the government still had a long way to go in achieving greater equality in employment for disabled people, carers and older workers.
The report called for a "refreshed" approach in support that was flexible to the range of needs, with more realistic targets.
Action will continue to work towards narrowing the cap between the employment rates of disadvantaged groups and the overall rate, the government responded today.
It said processes were being established by the Department of Work and Pensions, Cabinet Office and the Department of Health to create more efficient methods in measuring the employment rate.
The committee previously found the government's ambition to match the employment rate of disabled people with the general working age population was "laudable but impracticable".
And the committee expressed disappointment over figures claiming an increase in the employment rate of 1.41 per cent.
In its response, the government said "there appeared to have been some misunderstanding" over the 1.41 per cent figure.
It claimed the amount represented the minimum decrease the department would need to observe between the two employment rates, before it could be confident there had been a "statistically significant change".
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd