To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with the Joint Committee on Mobility for Disabled People; and what steps his Department takes in order to meet its disability equality duty through its relationship with the Committee. (314062)

Department for Transport officials attended two of the regular meetings in December 2008 and June 2009 arranged by the Joint Committee on Mobility for Disabled People. The Chair of the Committee was also invited to, and attended, a meeting about enforcement of the Blue Badge scheme that was convened by the DFT in March 2009. Members of the Committee have been invited to a seminar on Blue Badge reform in June 2010.

The Department is meeting its disability equality duty by ensuring that disabled people are actively involved in and consulted on aspects of the Blue Badge reform programme. As well as the seminar that is being arranged for June 2010, members from some representative groups, for example, Mobilise, are participating in steering groups. Regular newsletters are issued to all stakeholders and officials continue to meet regularly with other representative groups, for example, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, as well as with the Joint Committee on Mobility for Disable People.