Minister quizzed on chances for disabled
● A RUNCORN MP has sought answers in Parliament on what steps are being taken by the Government to help firms employ disabled people.
Graham Evans spoke to the minister for disabled people, health and work Penny Mordaunt during a session in the House Of Commons on Monday, October 17.
Mr Evans – whose constituency of Weaver Vale includes eastern parts of Runcorn, Daresbury and Frodsham – asked Ms Mordaunt what steps the Government is taking in a bid to increase awareness among employers of the ‘value of recruiting and retaining’ disabled people.
She said: “Building on the work of my predecessor, we have introduced a new Disability Confident scheme to identify the value that disabled people bring to businesses and to give employers the tools and techniques they need to recruit, retain and develop them.
“The new scheme went live in July, and it will be formally launched soon.”
Mr Evans said that earlier in 2016, he held his fifth annual jobs and apprenticeship fair at Mid Cheshire College and in July, undertook his Disability Confident fair.
The Runcorn MP said that he signed up 19 Cheshire businesses to become Disability Confident employers.
He asked Ms Mordaunt what steps the Government is taking to encourage more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take up this ‘very important role’.
The minister said: “In addition to the Disability Confident scheme, we are trialling the small employer offer, which will provide some additional support to those who may have less capacity within their own organisation.
“We are also working closely with the Health And Safety Executive, with its reach to SMEs, to target our services better.”