Disability Reference Group

Mr. Hunt
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects his Department’s Disability Reference Group to report to his Department’s Board on progress in addressing actions on disability.

Barbara Follett
The Department’s Disability Reference Group met twice in 2008 and provided comments on the draft DCMS Secretary of State report on Disability Equality, published on 1 December 2008, which reported on progress in all DCMS policy sectors. The experience of members covers a broad range of sectors, including arts, sport, architecture, media, tourism and general access issues.

The Disability Reference Group has drawn attention to a number of issues and will submit a formal paper on progressing disability equality to the DCMS Board in early 2009, for discussion by April 2009.