15-08-03

Time to stengthen disabled discrimination laws – Barrett

John Barrett, Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today called on the Government to mark the European Year of Disabled People by bringing forward new legislation, strengthening the rights of the disabled.

A number of organisations, representing the interest of disabled people, including Capability Scotland and the Disability Rights Commission, have called for new laws to update the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

Back in January, the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Andrew Smith and the Minister for the Disabled, Maria Eagle, promised to publish a draft bill to extend the definition of disability under the DDA. However, 7 months on from the original announcement, no bill has yet been published and the very organisations that welcomed the Government’s plans are concerned the new laws have been postponed.

John Barrett, in a letter to the Minister for the Disabled, has called for the new legislation to be at the heart of the Queen’s Speech in the autumn, when the Government’s legislative plans for the next 12 months are to be announced.

In a statement, John Barrett MP said:

“The Government was rightly congratulated for responding to the concerns of disabled people and promising to up date the current discrimination laws. However, 7 months on, many people are now rightly worried that the plans seem to have been kicked into the long grass.

“Unfortunately, despite the good intentions of 1995 Disability Bill, many disabled people still face discrimination in their every day lives. The Government must now respond to organisations like Capability Scotland and commit themselves to bringing forward comprehensive new legislation in the autumn which will help end this discrimination, once and for all.

“Surely, there would be no better way to mark the European Year of Disabled People!”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

More information on the campaigns for a new Disability Bill can be found at
http://www.drc.org.uk/campaigns/campaigndetails.asp?id=335
http://www.capability-scotland.org.uk/index.htm