Meetings

Disability and Employment

This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.

Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.

 

 

Meeting: 19/01/2026 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip to the Chair regarding the Committee's report: “Anything’s Achievable with the Right Support: Tackling the Disability Employment Gap”

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 15/09/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Easy read version of the Welsh Government's response to the Committee's report: "Anything's achievable with the right support: Tackling the Disability Employment Gap"

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 15/09/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Correspondence from the Minister for Social Security and Disability to the Chair regarding changes to support for disabled people and welfare reform

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 07/07/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 6)

6 Correspondence between the Department for Work and Pensions and the social justice committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Parliament

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 30/06/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Correspondence to the Secretary of State from the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Communities regarding the disability benefits system and the associated Pathways to Work Green Paper

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 23/06/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 6)

6 Disability employment gap and welfare reform: consideration of draft correspondence

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members agreed the draft letter.

Meeting: 23/06/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Correspondence to the Chair from Disability Wales regarding Pathways to Work

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 11/06/2025 - Plenary (Item 6)

Debate on the Equality and Social Justice Committee report: Anything’s Achievable with the Right Support: Tackling the Disability Employment Gap

NDM8918 Jenny Rathbone (Cardiff Central)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Equality and Social Justice Committee report: 'Anything’s achievable with the right support: Tackling the Disability Employment Gap' laid on 6 March 2025.

Note: The response of the Welsh Government was laid in the Table Office on 4 June 2025.

 

Minutes:

The item started at 15.37

NDM8918 Jenny Rathbone (Cardiff Central)

To propose that the Senedd:

Notes the Equality and Social Justice Committee report: 'Anything’s achievable with the right support: Tackling the Disability Employment Gap' laid on 6 March 2025.

Note: The response of the Welsh Government was laid in the Table Office on 4 June 2025.

The motion was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

 

Meeting: 09/06/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Correspondence from the Minister for Social Security and Disability to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip regarding the Equality and Social Justice Committee's recent report entitled "Anything's achievable with the right support: Tackling the Disability Employment Gap"

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 12/05/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip to the Chair regarding the Welsh Government's response to the Committee's report: "Anything’s Achievable with the Right Support - Tackling the Disability Employment Gap"

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 12/05/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 6)

6 Disability and Employment: consideration of response and additional work

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a draft letter concerning support for employment of disabled people and welfare reform. A number of amendments were requested and it was agreed that a revised draft would be circulated to Members.

 

Meeting: 05/02/2025 - Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee (Item 2)

2 The Disability Employment Gap and the education system

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 03/02/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Minister for Further and Higher Education to the Chair regarding the Disability Employment Gap and the education system

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 03/02/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Correspondence from Medr to the Chair regarding the Disability Employment Gap

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 03/02/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Disability employment gap: consideration of draft report

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members agreed the draft report, subject to some minor revisions.

Meeting: 29/01/2025 - Children, Young People, and Education Committee (Item 4)

4 Disability and Employment

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 15/01/2025 - Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee (Item 2)

2 The Disability Employment Gap and the education system

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 13/01/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Correspondence to the Chair from Cardiff County Council regarding the Committee's inquiry into the Disability Employment Gap

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 13/01/2025 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Correspondence from the Department for Work and Pensions regarding the Committee's inquiry into the Disability Employment Gap

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 09/12/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 7)

7 Disability and Employment: consideration of key issues

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members considered the key issues paper and agreed to prepare a report for consideration in the Spring term.

 

 

Meeting: 09/12/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Correspondence between the Chair and Councillor Andrew Morgan regarding information as part of the inquiry into the disability employment gap

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 02/12/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Correspondence between the Chair and the Chief Executive and Clerk for the Senedd regarding information as part of the inquiry into the disability employment gap

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 02/12/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Correspondence from Admiral Insurance: "Supporting Disabled Colleagues at Admiral: A Commitment to Inclusivity and Wellbeing"

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 25/11/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Additional evidence to the Equality and Social Justice Committee Inquiry into Disability and Employment from Ruth Nortey

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 25/11/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Correspondence from Careers Wales regarding the number of disabled people employed by Careers Wales

Supporting documents:

Meeting: 25/11/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 6)

Disability and Employment: consideration of evidence

Minutes:

Members considered the evidence received and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education on issues raised during the inquiry.

 

Meeting: 25/11/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Disability and Employment: Ministerial evidence session

Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd & Chief Whip

Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, Skills & Social Partnership

Lorna Hall, Deputy Director for Equality and Human Rights, Welsh Government

Neil Surman, Deputy Director for Skills, Welsh Government

Stephen Layne, Deputy Director for Fair Work, Welsh Government

 

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd & Chief Whip

Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, Skills & Social Partnership

Lorna Hall, Deputy Director for Equality and Human Rights, Welsh Government

Neil Surman, Deputy Director for Skills, Welsh Government

Stephen Layne, Deputy Director for Fair Work, Welsh Government

 

Meeting: 11/11/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 7)

Disability and Employment: consideration of evidence

Minutes:

Members considered the evidence.

 

Members agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary and ask for information as to when the Disability Task Force is going to publish its Action Plan and concern regarding the time its taken.

 

Members agreed to write to UK Minister regarding National Insurance contributions for charities and SMEs and the impact this could have on recruiting and supporting disabled people.

 

Meeting: 11/11/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

4 Disability and Employment: evidence session 13

Rosie Cribb, Social Firms Wales

Richard Wellfoot, Merthyr Institute for the Blind

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Rosie Cribb, Social Firms Wales

Richard Wellfoot, Merthyr Institute for the Blind

 

 

Meeting: 11/11/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Disability and Employment: evidence session 12

Angharad Dean

Dee Montague - Coast, Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales

Isabel Linton, Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Angharad Dean

Dee Montague - Coast, Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales

Isabel Linton, Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales

 

 

Meeting: 11/11/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Disability and Employment: evidence session 11

Rhianydd Williams, Equality and Policy Officer, Wales TUC

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from Rhianydd Williams, Equality and Policy Officer, Wales TUC.

Meeting: 21/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 7)

Disability and Employment: consideration of evidence

Minutes:

Members considered the evidence.

 

Members agreed to meet in private to further discuss the correspondence from Dr Robert Jones  regarding Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre's publication: Prisons and Sentencing in Wales - 2023 fact file.

Meeting: 21/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

Disability and Employment: evidence session 10

Andrea Wayman, Chief Executive Officer, ELITE Supported Employment Arthur Beechey, Chief Executive Officer, Agoriad Training and Employment Support

 

 

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

Andrea Wayman, Chief Executive Officer, ELITE Supported Employment Arthur Beechey, Chief Executive Officer, Agoriad Training and Employment Support

Meeting: 21/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Disability and Employment: evidence session 9

Nerys Bourne, Director of Customer Strategy and Service Development, Careers Wales

 

Emma Benger, Working Wales Project Manager, Careers Wales

 

Terry Mills, Disabled People's Employment Champion, Welsh Government

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Nerys Bourne, Director of Customer Strategy and Service Development, Careers Wales

 

Emma Benger, Working Wales Project Manager, Careers Wales

 

Terry Mills, Disabled People's Employment Champion, Welsh Government

 

Meeting: 21/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Disability and Employment: evidence session 8

Daniel Biddle, Advocate of Disabled People’s Rights

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Daniel Biddle, Advocate of Disabled People’s Rights

Meeting: 14/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 6)

Disability and Employment: consideration of evidence

Minutes:

Members considered the evidence. Members agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip expressing concerns about the  scrapping of the GCSE in sign language.

Meeting: 14/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Disability and Employment: evidence session 7

Gerraint Jones-Griffiths - Engage to Change Lead Ambassador, Learning Disability Wales and Honorary Associate, Engage to Change Research and Evaluation Team, National Centre for Mental Health, Cardiff University

 

Angela Kenvyn - Project Manager, Learning Disability Wales

 

Dr Elisa Vigna - Research Fellow - National Centre for Mental Health, Cardiff University

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Gerraint Jones-Griffiths - Engage to Change Lead Ambassador, Learning Disability Wales and Honorary Associate, Engage to Change Research and Evaluation Team, National Centre for Mental Health, Cardiff University

 

Angela Kenvyn - Project Manager, Learning Disability Wales

 

Dr Elisa Vigna - Research Fellow - National Centre for Mental Health, Cardiff University

Meeting: 14/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Disability and Employment: evidence session 6

Rhian Davies, Disability Wales

Miranda Evans, Disability Wales

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Rhian Davies, Disability Wales

Miranda Evans, Disability Wales

Meeting: 07/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 6)

Disability and Employment: consideration of evidence

Minutes:

Members considered the evidence.

Meeting: 07/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 4)

Disability and Employment: evidence session 5

Vivienne Buckley, Principal of Bridgend College, Colleges Wales

 

Lisa Mytton, Strategic Director, National Training Federation for Wales

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Vivienne Buckley, Principal of Bridgend College, Colleges Wales

Lisa Mytton, Strategic Director, National Training Federation for Wales

 

Meeting: 07/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Disability and Employment: evidence session 4

Ruth Coombs, Head of Wales, Equality and Human Rights Commission

Martyn Jones, Interim Chair of the Wales Committee, Equality and Human Rights Commission

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Ruth Coombs, Head of Wales, Equality and Human Rights Commission

Martyn Jones, Interim Chair of the Wales Committee, Equality and Human Rights Commission

 

Meeting: 07/10/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Disability and Employment: evidence session 3

Fflur Elin, Federation of Small Business

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from Fflur Elin, Federation of Small Business.

Meeting: 30/09/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 6)

Disability and Employment: consideration of evidence

Minutes:

Members considered the evidence.

Meeting: 30/09/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 3)

3 Disability and Employment: evidence session 2

Professor Melanie Jones, Cardiff University

Professor Victoria Wass, Cardiff University

Ruth Nortey, Cardiff University

Dr Marc Bryan, Sheffield University

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from:

 

Professor Melanie Jones, Cardiff University

Professor Victoria Wass, Cardiff University

Ruth Nortey, Cardiff University

Dr Marc Bryan, Sheffield University

Meeting: 30/09/2024 - Equality and Social Justice Committee (Item 2)

2 Disability and Employment: evidence session 1

Professor Debbie Foster, Cardiff University

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members heard evidence from Professor Debbie Foster, Cardiff University.

 

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