Member

On Amendment 297, I recall many speeches about this in the 1970s and 1980s, when we regretted the persistent low employment rate for blind and sight-impaired people. That is surely one of the most entrenched and troubling inequalities in our labour market. It is not a new problem; it has been evident for decades, and yet progress has been slow, fragmented and insufficient. Blind people continue to face systemic barriers at every stage, from recruitment processes that are not accessible to poor employer awareness and gaps in training and support. Whether or not a royal commission is the right tool, the principle behind my noble friend’s amendment is clear and important. We just need a cross-government, cross-sector effort to tackle this properly—surely it is about time that we did. I hope the Government will respond with the seriousness this issue deserves.