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All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability
Chair: Dr Lisa Cameron MP / lisa.cameron.mp@parliament.uk
Vice Chair: Johnny Mercer MP / johnny.mercer.mp@parliament.uk
Secretary: Debbie Abrahams MP / abrahamsd@parliament.uk
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Minutes from APPG Disability AGM
08 September 2015, Committee Room 8, House of Lords
Present
Chair:
Vice Chair:
Secretary:
Officers:
Secretariat:
Dr Lisa Cameron MP
Jonny Mercer MP
Debbie Abrahams MP
Baroness Uddin
Lord Low of Dalston CBE
Liz Sayce, CEO, Disability Rights UK
Phillip Connolly, Policy and Communications Manager, Disability Rights UK
Ruth Lincoln, Secretariat to the APPG for Disability, Disability Rights UK
Parliamentary Attendees:
Lord Addington
Lord Borwick
Baroness Masham
Neil Gray MP
Natalie McGarry MP – SNP Shadow Minister for Disability
Observer Organisations Present:
Alan Milner, Mencap
Siobhan Margolis, Policy Officer, Contact a Family
Merlyn Holkar, Contact a Family
Henrietta Doyle, Inclusion London
Alfie van den Bos, Policy Officer, Multiple Sclerosis Society
Woolf Thomson Jones
Apologies
Viscount Simon
Baroness Thomas of Winchester
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
Baroness Howarth of Breckland OBE
The Baroness Neuberger DBE
The Rt Hon. the Lord Tebbit CH
Lady Victoria Borwick MP
Kate Green MP
Maria Miller MP
Baroness Campbell of Surbiton
Baroness Hollins
Baroness Lister of Burtersett
The Baroness Flather DL
Lord Dubs
The Lord McColl of Dulwich CBE
Catherine West MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Paul Maynard MP
Ronnie Cowan MP
Secretariat: Disability Rights UK
appgsecretariat@disabilityrightsuk.org
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All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability
Chair: Dr Lisa Cameron MP / lisa.cameron.mp@parliament.uk
Vice Chair: Johnny Mercer MP / johnny.mercer.mp@parliament.uk
Secretary: Debbie Abrahams MP / abrahamsd@parliament.uk
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Dr Lisa Cameron
Welcome and draw your attention to the previously circulated document ‘APPG PROGRAM 2015-16’
[attached] outlining the suggested overall aims of the APPG for Disability over the coming
parliamentary year.
The following elements of the program were discussed:
1)
Meeting the additional costs arising from disability in order to achieve inclusion and equality for
disabled people.
Philip Connolly, Disability Rights UK
Fair on assistive technology: 04 November, 2015. Collaboration between Disability Rights UK and the
Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
This is a Disability Rights UK event hosted by Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Disabled people in the UK face higher than average living costs and risk being pushed into poverty.
Yet the 12 million disabled people in the UK have considerable power as consumers to influence the
market.
With speakers representing disability rights, consumer rights and the business sector, this event will
explore options to harness and exert this influence, following the example of other oncemarginalised consumer groups.
Contributors/Speakers include:
Teresa Perchard, Extra Costs Commission
Charles Eisenstein, author of “Sacred Economics”
Philip Connolly, Policy and Development Manager, Disability Rights UK
Kay Allen OBE, Director, Trading for Good
John Lamb, Executive Director, British Assistive Technology Association
Martin Lewis, Founder, MoneySavingExpert.com
The event is invite only, however, if you are interested in joining us please
email karen.earl@disabilityrightsuk.org
https://www.jrf.org.uk/affordable-how-can-disabled-people-reduce-their-cost-living-and-riskpoverty
KEY DOCUMENT
A 2014 report by Scope, Priced Out: Ending the Financial Penalty of Disability by 2020, highlighted a
lack of evidence or ideas about how to drive down the cost of products and services for which
disabled people pay more.
http://www.scope.org.uk/Get-Involved/Campaigns/Extra-costs/Extra-costs-commission/Full-Report
Update: Invitations sent to all APPG parliamentary members. [RL]
Secretariat: Disability Rights UK
appgsecretariat@disabilityrightsuk.org
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All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability
Chair: Dr Lisa Cameron MP / lisa.cameron.mp@parliament.uk
Vice Chair: Johnny Mercer MP / johnny.mercer.mp@parliament.uk
Secretary: Debbie Abrahams MP / abrahamsd@parliament.uk
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2) Closing the disability employment gap. [Note: the Conservative election manifesto pledged to halve
this gap over the period of the next Government. To date there is no blueprint or strategic plan as
to how this is to be achieved.]
Lord Low
Supports the ideas contained in the program - especially with regards to closing the employment
gap. However Lord Low would like to highlight that a crucial aspect of this is ‘keeping people that
become disabled, or diagnosed with chronic illness, in work’. Most disabilities occur in adulthood to
economically active people therefore what causes previously working individuals to leave work?
Ruth Lincoln
Personal Testimony: Within eighteen months of diagnosis was made redundant from a department
that was protected under restructuring. Asked if any research has been carried out to ascertain:

How many of those made redundant in the last recession were sick or disabled? Would this
account for a rise in claimants of welfare benefits around the same time? No evidence
available.

Reasons that adults leave employment, following newly acquired disability or chronic illness,
and the factors that influence this decision.
Update: National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society 2015 Manifesto states: ‘40% of people with RA lose
their job within 5 years of diagnosis.’ Secretariat has contacted NRAS to ask if there is a further
breakdown of this information to indicate why.
APPG Parliamentary Members, and Observer Organisations, please notify the secretariat if you area
aware of any pre-existing research in the two areas above.
3) Integral Infrastructure: Improved disabled access in the built environment and transport networks.
Baroness Masham
Raised the issue of disabled people traveling to work. If one million more disabled people went out
to work tomorrow would the public transport infrastructure cope?
Lack of disabled parking provision.
Ruth Lincoln
Is there a way of APPG for Disability members, with coordinated representation from other disability
related APPGs and Observer Groups, to feed in to APPGs covering topics that effect all disabled
people? i.e. The APPG for the Built Environment and the APPG for Transport.
Secretariat: Disability Rights UK
appgsecretariat@disabilityrightsuk.org
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All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability
Chair: Dr Lisa Cameron MP / lisa.cameron.mp@parliament.uk
Vice Chair: Johnny Mercer MP / johnny.mercer.mp@parliament.uk
Secretary: Debbie Abrahams MP / abrahamsd@parliament.uk
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APPG for Disability 2015 Program Recommendations
Reduce the quantity of invitations and briefings sent to members of both houses by encouraging a
collective approach from observer organisations. The APPG for Disability to consolidate its
membership through collaboration with other All Party Parliamentary Groups and observer
organisations.
Philip Connolly
It was suggested that previous parliamentary and observer members should be directly asked
whether they would like to participate again this year. [Completed- APPG Secretariat]
Ruth Lincoln
Disability Rights UK, as Secretariat, is aiming for collaboration with other relevant all-party groups,
and co-ordinated involvement from Observer groups, in order that disability becomes represented
at all appropriate APPGs, Select Committees, and calls for evidence.
Liz Sayce, CEO, Disability Rights UK
For big topics on the debate schedule, such as Welfare and Employment, a collaboration would
enable the best evidence and a greater influence for the disabled community.
Alan Milner, Mencap
The Disability Benefits Consortium, which Mencap currently chair, has sixty members that could
come together, provide information, and form consensus on issues where appropriate.
Lord Addington:
Highlighted the many condition specific APPGs and was interested to attend the APPG for Disability
this year to explore whether multiple APPGs could come together for joint meetings (where the
issue to be discussed effects all disabled people regardless of their impairment, condition, or
disability). Officers and Secretariats of each group could then feed back to their members.
Parliamentary members present expressed support for a collaborative approach. In order to enable
MPs and peers to raise relevant and timely questions to government. Backed up by authoritative
sources and personal testimony from disabled individuals and organisations.
Secretariat: Disability Rights UK
appgsecretariat@disabilityrightsuk.org
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All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability
Chair: Dr Lisa Cameron MP / lisa.cameron.mp@parliament.uk
Vice Chair: Johnny Mercer MP / johnny.mercer.mp@parliament.uk
Secretary: Debbie Abrahams MP / abrahamsd@parliament.uk
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Update

Observer list updated and all invited to next meeting.

Compiling list of chairs and secretariats for condition specific APPGs

A separate list of APPGs where disability should be represented. E.g. APPG for Housing

A list of parliamentary officers from disability relevant external organisations.
[This has to be compiled page by page from the website. Doubled checked this with the
Parliamentary Registrar.]
Secretariat
Parliamentary APPG Members were asked what kind of information MPs and peers needed from
observer organisations and in what format.
The following points were raised about the ideal content of briefings provided for MPs and Peers.
Dr Lisa Cameron, Chair
MPs and Peers want to know how people are affected in their everyday lives. What do disabled
individuals want us to focus on? What are their goals and ideas? Personal testimony is needed to
highlight how government policy directly effects the disabled community.
Debbie Abrahams MP
Baseline data is fine but soft qualitative data is better than survey results. It has greater impact to
influence public opinion.
Neil Gray MP
The recent coverage of the refugee crisis highlights that a single story can sway the groundswell of
public opinion. Individual stories can be incredibly powerful.
Lord Addington
The information provided in briefings must be timely and relevant. Ideally questions from observer
groups should reach parliamentary members two weeks before the debate is due. This allows time
to gain additional information and triple check the validity of sources before standing up in the
house and challenging government.
Secretariat: Disability Rights UK
appgsecretariat@disabilityrightsuk.org
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All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability
Chair: Dr Lisa Cameron MP / lisa.cameron.mp@parliament.uk
Vice Chair: Johnny Mercer MP / johnny.mercer.mp@parliament.uk
Secretary: Debbie Abrahams MP / abrahamsd@parliament.uk
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The ideal format for briefings sent to MPs and Peers:
Lord Addington
 It would make life easier if briefings were submitted on two sides of A4.
 A title indicating the topic. E.g. Disability Hate Crime or Disability and Employment
 A paragraph or two of background.
 A question (suitable to be asked in the house of commons, house of lords, select
committees).
 Links to supporting evidence and/or further research.
 A balance between data (statistics and numbers) and personal testimony from disabled
individuals / witness statements from observer organisations.
Philip Connolly, Disability Rights UK
National Surveys and Research. It has been brought to our attention, by parliamentary members,
that it would be beneficial for observer organisations to research and report data by constituency. In
order that each MP knows the number of constituents affected in their area. This can have a
powerful impact for MPs.
Any other business:
Baroness Masham
Expressed concern over a lack of specialist doctors for spinal injuries. Northern Ireland, Scotland, and
Wales have a strategy – England doesn’t.
Upcoming debates about the rising charges for hospital parking.
Next Meeting
Joint meeting between APPG on Learning Disabilities and APPG for Disability. Date TBC
To be attended by the Minister for Disability Justin Tomlinson.
Being Organised by Rob Holland Secretariat to the APPG for Learning Disability.
Update: Thursday 05 November 2015, 1pm to 2pm, Thatcher Room, Portcullis House.
Invitations sent to all APPG for Disability parliamentary members and Disability Rights UK ‘observer
groups’. [RL]
Invitations sent to all APPG on Learning Disability members and Disability Benefits Consortium
members by Rob Holland of Mencap (Secretariat to the APPG on Learning Disability).
Close
Secretariat: Disability Rights UK
appgsecretariat@disabilityrightsuk.org