To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty. (240983)

The 2007-08 report on the disability equality duty was produced as part of an updated single equality scheme in June 2008, but this is still to be published. The proposals and conclusions on disability equality in that report are echoed in the Secretary of State for Health triennial disability equality report, which considers progress towards equality for disabled people in the health and social care sector, published on 1 December 2008.

These are:

Equality of access to high quality health and care services is key;

There is a need to continue work to break through attitudinal barriers;

Information for disabled people should be fit for purpose;

Consultation and involvement of disabled people needs to be more systematic;

Targets for equality should be set that are clear, consistent and ambitious;

Progressing disability equality requires partnership working at national, regional and local level;

Greater effort is needed to put the evidence of what works into practice; and

We need to build the capacity to support disabled people to live independently.

A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.