Written question asked by Jeremy Hunt (Conservative) on Friday, 8 December 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 13 December 2006. It was answered by Parmjit Dhanda (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 January 2007 on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills.

Office for Disability Issues

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many times the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families has attended meetings of the Office for Disability Issues since its establishment.

Answer: [holding answer 13 December 2006]: I am responding on behalf of Lord Adonis, who leads on this area. There have been no meetings at ministerial level. However, officials within my Department have actively engaged with the ODI in a number of areas relating to furthering equality for disabled people including preparation of the Department’s recently published Disability Equality Scheme and on the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit (PMSU) programme ‘Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People’. In addition, the head of the ODI has addressed a meeting of the DfES board and directors, chaired by the permanent secretary. Furthermore, two of my senior officials are members of the ODI board of management which is jointly responsible for co-ordinating the strategy and steering the work of the ODI, in line with the 20-year vision for disabled people.

Secondary information