Disability and Employment

Inquiry5

 

At its meeting on 5 June 2023, the Equality and Social Justice Committee agreed to undertake an inquiry into the disability employment and payment gap. The inquiry explored what progress has been made and what more could be done to reduce and remove barriers to employment faced by disabled people.

 

Disability is defined by the Equality Act 2010 as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term adversely affects a person's ability to carry out normal day to day activities". For the purpose of this inquiry, this definition encompasses medical disorders, learning disabilities, neurodivergence and other conditions.

 

Terms of reference

The terms of reference for the inquiry were to consider:

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>>>What progress has been made to deliver the recommendations set out in the ‘Locked Out’ report and to reduce and remove barriers faced by disabled people who want to access Wales’s labour market. Why progress to reduce the employment and pay disability gap has been so difficult to achieve.

>>>How the social model of disability is being used to underpin employment and recruitment practices, and what barriers continue to exist throughout society that impact on access to work (i.e. transport, attitudes).

>>>How effective Welsh Government actions (e.g. the network of Disability Employment Champions and apprenticeships) have been in reducing barriers to employment and reducing the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people, including the extent to which Welsh Government policies complement/ duplicate/ undermine those set by the UK Government.

>>>Whether disabled people are accessing apprenticeships and if any further support is needed to ensure a schemes are inclusive.

>>>What further policy measures are needed to support disabled people, young disabled people and employers to increase participation rates and what can be learned from elsewhere.

>>>What actions would support those who are currently unable to work to access voluntary opportunities (which could lead to future work opportunities).

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Evidence gathering

 

The deadline for submitting written evidence was 9 September 2024. All written submissions that we received are available on our consultation page.

 

Oral evidence was gathered from a variety of witnesses during the Autumn Term 2024 and on 25 November 2024 the Committee held an evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd & Chief WhipSocial Justice and Chief Whip, Jane Hutt MS.

 

Witnesses who gave oral evidence were:

 

Date	Name and Organisation
30 September 2024	Professor Debbie Foster, Cardiff University Professor Melanie Jones, Cardiff University Professor Victoria Wass, Cardiff University Ruth Nortey, Cardiff University Dr Marc Bryan, Sheffield University
7 October 2024	Fflur Elin, Head of External Affairs – Wales, Federation of Small Business Ruth Coombs, Head of Wales, Equality and Human Rights Commission Martyn Jones, Interim Chair of the Wales Committee, Equality and Human Rights Commission Vivienne Buckley, Principal of Bridgend College, Colleges Wales  Lisa Mytton, Strategic Director, National Training Federation for Wales
14 October 2024	Rhian Davies, Chief Executive, Disability Wales Miranda Evans, Business and Partnerships Manager, Disability Wales Gerraint Jones-Griffiths - Engage to Change Lead Ambassador, Learning Disability Wales Angela Kenvyn - Project Manager, Learning Disability Wales Dr Elisa Vigna - Research Fellow - National Centre for Mental Health Cardiff University
21 October 2024	Daniel Biddle, Advocate of Disabled People’s Rights 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 Andrea Wayman, Chief Executive Officer, ELITE Supported Employment Arthur Beechey, Chief Executive Officer Agoriad Training and Employment Support
11 November 2024	Rhianydd Williams, Equality and Policy Officer, Wales TUC Angharad Dean Dee Montague – Coast, Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales Isabel Linton Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales  Rosie Cribb, Social Firms Wales Richard Wellfoot, Merthyr Institute for the Blind
25 November 2024	Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd & Chief Whip Welsh Government Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, Skills & Social Partnership Welsh Government 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

 

 

Engagement

 

As part of the inquiry the Committee engaged with disabled people to learn about their experiences. A number of focus groups and individual interviews were held. The focus groups also included a small number who participated in a professional capacity as staff working with disabled people. An interim report and a summary of engagement were published.

 

Reporting

 

The Committee published its report on 6 March 2025.

 

Alternative report formats

 

The report and summary are also available in web and Microsoft Word formats. Links to these versions are set out below. Information about how to use the accessibility options in the Microsoft Word version is available in an explainer document.

 

Committee report:

 

Web version

Microsoft Word version

 

 

Summary report:

 

Web version

Microsoft Word version

 

Easy Read Report:

Easy read version

 

 

The Welsh Government laid their response to the report on 17 April 2025.

The response is also available in a word document

 

On 23 May the Committee wrote to Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State for Social Security and Disability and the Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding Support for employment of disabled people and welfare reform.

 

On 11 June 2025 the report and the government response were debated in Plenary.