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Hi For those who hadn't seen this, here is the text of Margaret Hodge's statement on the extension of the Disability Discrimination Act to small firms. Mark. House of Commons Hansard 5 Mar 2001 : Column: 13W Disability Rights Task Force Ms Hodge: I am delighted to announce that the Government's response to the Task Force, entitled "Towards Inclusion--civil rights for disabled people", is published today. Copies are available in the Library of the House. We are already taking forward the Task Force's recommendations on civil rights in education in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill, which received its Third reading in the House of Lords on 1 March. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions announced on 7 December that he would be consulting separately on the Task Force's civil rights recommendations on transport. The Disability Rights Commission, on which the Task Force made previous recommendations, has been open to the public since 25 April 2000. "Towards Inclusion" describes our proposals for amending the Disability Discrimination Act's provisions on the definition of disability, employment and access to goods, services, facilities and premises. These proposals will have a major impact on promoting equality for, and safeguarding the rights of, disabled people. They include: covering more people with HIV and cancer; ending the DDA's small employer exemption by 2004; bringing within scope of the DDA occupations and employment such as the police, fire-fighters, prison officers, barristers and partners in business partnerships. By making these changes, we will bring over 600,000 disabled people, in a range of jobs and occupations, into scope. We will also improve the process for making tribunal complaints; 5 Mar 2001 : Column: 14W extend the scope of the DDA to cover most functions of public bodies--not just services to the public as now; and introduce a new duty on public bodies to promote equalisation of opportunities for disabled people. We are seeking views on our proposals by 8 June. In addition, we have asked the DRC, as part of its role to monitor and review the DDA, to consider further some other Task Force issues. "Towards Inclusion" also describes how we have taken forward the Task Force's non-legislative recommendations and outlines the wide range of positive Government action for disabled people over the last four years, in all areas of life. Our 1997 manifesto made a major commitment to disabled people. We promised to support their comprehensive and enforceable civil rights. With the help of the Disability Rights Task Force, the steps we have taken over the last four years--and what we now propose in "Towards Inclusion"--meet this commitment. We are on the way towards creating a truly inclusive society for disabled people. Best Wishes Mark Priestley Centre for Disability Studies University of Leeds LEEDS LS2 9JT UK tel: +44 113 233 4417 fax: +44 113 233 4415 e-mail: [log in to unmask] http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies ________________End of message______________________ Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List are now located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.