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Vol. 737 Tuesday No. 8 22 May 2012 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Questions Disability: Black and Minority-ethnic Disabled People Schools: Careers Advisers Olympic Games: British Companies Housing Electric Personal Vehicles (Use on Highways) Bill [HL] First Reading House Committee Motion to Approve Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Second Reading Local Government Finance Bill First Reading Proceeds of Crime: EUC Report Motion to Approve Grand Committee Police (Collaboration: Specified Function) Order 2012 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Temporary Class Drug) Order 2012 Automatic Enrolment (Earnings Trigger and Qualifying Earnings Band) Order 2012 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Amendment) Order 2012 Greater London Authority Act 1999 (Amendment) Order 2012 Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 Considered in Grand Committee Written Statements Written Answers For column numbers see back page £3·50 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. 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BOUND VOLUMES OF DEBATES are issued periodically during the session. Single copies: Commons, £105; Lords, £40. Standing orders will be accepted. THE INDEX to each Bound Volume of House of Commons Debates is published separately at £9·00 and can be supplied to standing order. All prices are inclusive of postage. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2012, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU; email: [email protected] 713 Disability[22 MAY 2012] Disability 714 Minister think that there is a lack of awareness? Are House of Lords these people applying for help, or are they not aware that they need to or could apply for help? Tuesday, 22 May 2012. Baroness Hanham: My Lords, the report identifies 2.30 pm that quite often they do not apply for help. In part, that is because they are not known to the authorities. Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury A large way of getting around that is for local government and Ipswich. or health authorities to ensure that people are aware of the local groups that reflect black and minority-ethnic requirements, and can thereby find out what their Disability: Black and Minority-ethnic needs are. However, I accept what my noble friend Disabled People says: that in many of these groups there is a family Question commitment to look after their own and not to seek statutory help. 2.36 pm Baroness King of Bow: My Lords, I congratulate Asked By Baroness Thornton Scope and the Equalities National Council on the To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are report, which draws to our attention the fact that doing to address access to and use of disability nearly half of all black and minority-ethnic disabled services by black and minority-ethnic disabled people, people live in poverty, which is staggering. Given this as outlined in the recently published Scope report extraordinary statistic, will the Minister agree to meet Over-looked Communities, Over-due Change. Scope and the Equalities National Council to discuss this point and look at how impact assessments can be improved in the future so that black disabled children The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department in Britain do not have a 50% chance of growing up in for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): poverty? The Government recognise the issues around access to and use of disability services by people from black and minority-ethnic backgrounds. Our forthcoming cross- Baroness Hanham: My Lords, I thank the noble government disability strategy will reflect the input of Baroness for that. I cannot give an absolute commitment disabled people, including those from black and minority- myself because this goes further than the Department ethnic backgrounds, and will set out our priorities for for Communities and Local Government, but I will ensuring that we can develop ways of tackling those see who the right person would be and I am sure that issues. I will be able to give a commitment on their behalf that that meeting will take place. Baroness Thornton: I thank the Minister for that The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: Answer and the recognition of the particular issues The Scope report highlights certain difficulties that that black and minority-ethnic disabled people face, migrants have in accessing services, with that of language which require a cross-government approach. The impact among them. Are there any plans for the Government assessments of the effect of government policies on to review the provision of translation services through welfare reform, for example, are so important because social services? this group is disadvantaged. I therefore seek a commitment from the Minister that the cross-government Baroness Hanham: My Lords, each local authority implementation plan will ensure that there is a strong can decide what translation facilities it needs for its working relationship between the Office for Disability communities. Some require material to be published in Issues, the Government Equalities Office and her own their own language, but very many others just need to department. When might that plan be available for us ensure that that material is available. It is, of course, to look at? necessary now for local authorities and health authorities to ensure that they have access to interpreting services Baroness Hanham: My Lords, as I am sure the as and when they need them. noble Baroness knows, the Government are developing the cross-government disability strategy at the moment. Baroness Hussein-Ece: My Lords, I also welcome It is cross-government, so the answer to her question this very important report, which has shone a light on about whether all departments will be involved is the desperate need of nearly 1 million people from clearly yes. As to when the disability action strategy black and ethnic-minority communities—a growing will be available, there is no date for publication yet as community. I want to press my noble friend the Minister consultations are still going on. They include people a bit more. Given that demographics mean that this from black and minority-ethnic groups. cohort of people is growing fast, will she consider developing a national race equality strategy, which Baroness Gardner of Parkes: Do other factors come would create a joint implementation plan for these two into this? Admittedly, the culture of black and ethnic strategies, to be led by the Office for Disability Issues minorities often means that people care for their own, and the Government Equalities Office, to ensure that perhaps better than we do and perhaps putting us to these people do not fall between the cracks and can shame in that respect. Apart from that, does the access services? 715 Disability[LORDS] Schools: Careers Advisers 716 Baroness Hanham: My Lords, I have already mentioned The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the disability plan, which is in the process of being put Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): My Lords, the recent forward, and where that strategy has advice from publication of statutory guidance on careers marks an black and minority-ethnic groups. The Government important step, as schools prepare for the introduction do not think that a race equality strategy would add of the new duty to secure independent careers guidance very much to the current position, with its focus on the from September. Schools will be expected to work in barriers faced by disabled people. There are duties partnership with expert careers guidance providers as under the equality strategy, which I think is now 90% appropriate to ensure that pupils receive impartial introduced. This is not a question entirely of race and advice. The statutory guidance is clear; face-to-face disability but of ensuring that individuals have access careers guidance can help pupils, particularly those to the services that they need and are known to the from disadvantaged backgrounds, to make informed authorities when they need to be so that their requirements choices and successful transitions. are met. That goes across the board. In short answer to the noble Baroness, we do not think at the moment Baroness Hughes of Stretford: I thank the Minister that a race equality strategy would add anything to the for his Answer. The Government have commendably Government’s position. continued the work of the previous Labour Government to establish a national careers service for adults, and Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, will the noble Baroness the Business Secretary has specified the qualifications seek to remedy the omission in the Scope report? It that advisers must have and that face-to-face advice took no account of the needs of people with disabilities must be provided to target groups of adults.