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Equality 2025

Answer

[holding answer 30 November 2009]: Equality 2025 is an advisory non-departmental public body established in response to a recommendation in the 2005 report by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit "Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People". It is sponsored by (but is not part of) the Office for Disability Issues, part of the Department for Work and Pensions.I meet with the chair and deputy chair of Equality 2025 which meet on a quarterly basis; the most recent meeting took place on 30 November. In addition, the chair and some members of Equality 2025 recently accompanied me to a number of events around the country. I also attended, and spoke at, Equality 2025's Annual Public Meeting in October 2009.Meetings take place between Equality 2025 members and officials within the Office for Disability Issues and the Department for Work and Pensions on a range of matters, such as the UN Convention on Disability Rights, the Independent Living Strategy, the Hate Crime Strategy, the Equality Bill, and communication strategies. Equality 2025 members are also members of the ad hoc advisory groups supporting the Independent Living Strategy and Right to Control project.As a cross-government group, Equality 2025 also meets with Ministers and officials beyond DWP. The chair has a standing invitation to the Life Chances ministerial group which I chair and is attended by Ministers from each 'Life Chances' department. The group meets quarterly. Equality 2025 members also have bi-lateral discussions with officials across Government in support of the Equality 2025 Workplan and in response to requests for advice from Government Departments.More formally, the Minister for Disability issues and I have recently been reviewing the work of Equality 2025 and its achievements over the last three years. With the agreement of Equality 2025, we are now taking the opportunity to further develop its strategic role as an 'expert group' and to streamline its size. Instead of running regional engagement events to find out disabled people's views, the group will build strong links with key disability organisations, umbrella groups and others across the United Kingdom. This will enable them to acquire a more representative picture of disabled people's views.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

503 c114W; 302790

Session

2009-10

Subjects

Equality 2025

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk