Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
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Future of the Disability Committee Decided

Following the independent review of the Disability Committee carried out by Agnes Fletcher in April 2013, and further discussions with Ministers and stakeholders, it has been decided that the Committee will end as a formal statutory committee in 2017. We welcome this decision and the clarity it provides.

The Committee can now carry out urgent recruitment of new members to fill vacancies so that it is operating at full strength over the coming years. At the same time, the working arrangements for the Committee will be strengthened to ensure that they are as robust as possible in order to address the range of challenges faced by disabled people across Great Britain.

The Commission will commence work with the Disability Committee over the next year to lay the ground work for the new arrangements – 2014-15 is of particular importance as the UK will be examined in its compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). This is an opportunity to focus and promote the work of the Committee and for them to connect strongly to disabled people and their organisations to raise the profile of the examination and its concluding recommendations. More broadly, the Committee will seek to be more active in engaging with a range of organisations representing disabled people. We will ensure that during the transition to 2017 we are effectively building disability issues into the Commission’s long range strategic plans and immediate operational priorities.

Chris Holmes, EHRC Commissioner and Chair of the Disability Committee, said:

"The Equality Act 2006 made provision for the Disability Committee to cease to function as a statutory committee after a period of transition. We now have a clear timescale within which to plan for how we embed a strong focus on disability issues into the wider structures of the EHRC.

“I look forward to meeting with Mike Penning MP, the new Minister for Disabled People, to discuss how we maximise the impact of the Disability Committee over the coming years. As we prepare for 2017, we must ensure that disability issues are being addressed now and into the future."


For more press information contact the Commission’s media office on 0161 829 8102, out of hours 07767 272 818.


Notes to Editors

The Commission is a statutory body established under the Equality Act 2006, which took over the responsibilities of Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and Equal Opportunities Commission.  It is the independent advocate for equality and human rights in Britain.  It aims to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people, and promote and protect human rights.  The Commission enforces equality legislation on age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status, and encourages compliance with the Human Rights Act.  It also gives advice and guidance to businesses, the voluntary and public sectors, and to individuals. 

 

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