Mims Davies

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey, and very good to see the Minister in his place after last week, when there were lots of changes. I thank the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire (Charlotte Cane), who gave a brilliant opening speech in this important debate. All Members, across the Chamber, have contributed very strongly. It is always a pleasure for me to speak on behalf of His Majesty’s official Opposition, even though this afternoon I have missed the all-party parliamentary group on dyslexia event to which I had an invitation. I absolutely agree about the breadth of impact of neurodivergence and the difference between it and learning disability. It was really important to set that out at the start. We are talking about different people with different needs. Like many of us, I have constituents who as parents find that funding issues are difficult, especially in rural areas, so I am very like-minded on better support for SEND. Education is what shapes us. Of course the impact, particularly in my part of the world, of the Government measure affecting small private schools and of choice being taken away from some parents has been very problematic. Many of us will have seen that in our constituency surgeries. As Conservatives, we believe that no matter what someone’s background and talents are, their full potential should be realised, and neurodiversity as explained today is an amazing way in which difference can truly be harnessed. There have been brilliant speeches showing what real contributions people can make. Neurodivergence should be no barrier to someone’s future, yet unfortunately we have heard about challenges from too many Members today. I thank those who have related their personal stories today. My yellow notes here remind people about my mild dyslexia—and the amount of cartridges that I go through in my constituency office. I think I have probably saved DWP a lot of money by leaving that Department, where I used a lot of yellow cartridges. But my brother has very severe dyslexia, and we go about things very differently, as people would expect. During the five years that I spent as a DWP Minister in the Conservative Government, it was my absolute privilege to work in that Department of wonderful people, as it was known when I was there—I hope it still is—helping to unlock potential and support people. As we heard today, with the right support and assistance, people can progress and thrive. In fact, this Minister is a great example of progression by being completely persistent and eventually getting his ministerial opportunity. It is great to see him there. All of us this afternoon have spoken especially about young people, whom we want to see progress and who may face unseen and unrecognised barriers. I am thinking particularly of the covid generation—the young people who are coming through now. Under the Conservatives, people saw a transformation in disability employment, with 2.6 million more disabled people entering work since 2013—a target met five years early. There was the Back to Work plan, with a £2.5 billion price tag on it, to support that next stage; the £64 million for the WorkWell pilot; and the £53 million for universal support. I am very mindful that those are not just numbers: they represent lives changed, independence gained and dignity restored. I am very mindful, as I am sure we all are, that behind every single statistic is a person, a need and a community. We should have their backs and help them. The Buckland review has been mentioned, of course. I had the pleasure of seeing its launch and the amazing work with the Autistica charity. The review offered 19 practical recommendations to help autistic people to start, stay and succeed in work, and to tackle the fact that around 30% of working-age autistic people are not in work. That is wrong. The supported internships mentioned today are absolutely vital, and the disability action plan—which I had the pleasure of helping to push forward—aims to ensure that the UK is the most accessible country in the world in the realm of work, tackling some of the inequalities faced in employment. That key partnership between employers and Government, which we have heard about, helps to turn the aspirations and good practice of employers—things that look nice on websites or mindsets that people have—into the ability to support people in the workplace and make it truly inclusive. The DWP itself, and the health model offices, are about looking at it from the point of view of claimants and those who need support—to see it their way. I remember going to one office where the walls and the pillars in the room were painted differently, because neurodivergent people needed to access the room differently. That is the way that our Jobcentre Plus offices should be set up. I am pleased to be supporting a Disability Confident breakfast in my patch to discuss and engage with the programme of understanding assistive technology and meaningful workplace changes, as we have heard today. It is vital that processes work for changed applications, and that access in technology means people are screened in rather than screened out. Under Labour, I am afraid the welfare system is growing, and it is vital that those on universal credit, or whose lives are being wasted and potential squandered, are understood and helped. In fact, the Sussex chamber of commerce has been doing some great work in my own backyard with Little Gate Supported Employment, Genius Within and other great local employers such as PVL, Time 24, Thriiver and many others. Removing barriers is hard for employers in all sectors and of all sizes, so partnership and best practice are vital. As the official Opposition, I offer to work collaboratively with the Minister and employers to help people to get in and stay in work. We in the Opposition will continue to focus on social mobility and life chances. I hope the changes at DWP make the impact that is needed, and I welcome the skills brief being brought into DWP. That is something I worked on and would have loved to have seen it realised. We have heard about the challenges around Access to Work and the flexible support fund, but with technology and the right attitude, employers can make small changes that make a huge difference. Access to Work needs to be updated, and we recognise that DWP has certain needs in this. With employer adjustments—better training, HR and mindset—all this means that if someone is not the finished article, they can get through the door and become one. Finally, Ms McVey—I can see you are rightly looking at me—welfare reform and living within our means are vital, because if we are to get back to being productive, to grow and to ensure there is support for those in the welfare system, we need people to be paying in. Sadly, Labour’s unemployment Bill is a concern, smothering employers with more red tape, making it more difficult for our constituents to generate revenue and offer jobs, and making it harder for young people—the ones particularly impacted by the pandemic—to get the start they need. Labour rightly promised change—we have all seen the change in the last few weeks—and I hope this new opportunity is taken. Our mission in government, which the current Government should share, was to focus on delivery and on the vital outcome of making the UK the best and most accessible place in the world, where the employment needs of people with neurodiversity or other learning need, are met. That way, people can live, work and thrive in this economy.