, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
I understand. We'll come back to you. Emma Benger, can you just tell us how this much bigger employment gap in certain parts of Wales and, indeed, the challenge to make us at least as good as the average in the UK, how does that influence how you approach…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
So, how do you get around the whole of Wales?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
And so, am I right in thinking that you're one of five disability champions?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
Six per cent.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
On the basis of what?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
Okay. And lastly from me, before I hand over to other Members, the disability employment gap is consistently higher in Wales than in the UK as a whole, and, in some areas of Wales, like Neath Port Talbot and Blaenau Gwent, the gap is as high as 40 per cent…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
Okay. So, you say that employers have to adapt, to make reasonable adjustments, but not being able to make reasonable adjustments. How does that fit with the Equality Act 2010 and the positive action that is required to accommodate people who may have a…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
Oh, I think it's more challenging for people like me than it is for my granddaughter. [Laughter.] Isn't that a way of actually enhancing the ability of some people to work?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 9
Welcome back to the Equality and Social Justice Committee, and our second session this afternoon. I'd like to welcome Nerys Bourne and Emma Benger. Nerys, you're the director of customer strategy and service development and Emma Benger is the Working Wales…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Thank you very much indeed. Pleasure to meet you. We'll take a short break now before we prepare for the next session, which will happen in about five minutes.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Thank you. Thank you very much indeed. I'd love to ask you 10 more questions but we've run out of time and we, obviously, can contact you outside the meeting. Thank you very much indeed for your excellent evidence and we'll send you a transcript so that if…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Before you leave, you're clearly running a sector-leading company, and you seem to have—I don't understand why you're not being headhunted, because you've got your disability assured recruitment certificate, your development and recruitment induction…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Thank you. Jane Dodds.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Thank you. Joel James.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Oh, sorry, Mick.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Thank you. Joel James.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Yes, it's fine.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Very good. Can I hand over to Julie Morgan now, please?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Can I ask Sioned Williams to come in now?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Back to you, Mick.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Mick, can I just cut across? Some job adverts say, 'If you'd like to know more information about this post, contact X.' Do you find that individuals do take up that offer if they've got additional questions, or do they think that might count against them?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Fine. Lots of issues there, which we will explore a bit further. So, Mick Antoniw, would you like to come in at this point?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Other witnesses have said that it's also to do with how vibrant the economy is in a particular area. So, Cardiff versus, say, Blaenau Gwent—
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
Thank you very much for that introductory set of remarks. I wondered if you can shed some light on the fact that the disability employment gap is consistently higher in Wales than across the UK as a whole, and in some areas of Wales, like Neath Port Talbot…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Disability and employment: evidence session 8
I'm very pleased, in our first evidence session this afternoon, to welcome Daniel Biddle, who is an advocate of disabled people's rights. I'd very much like to warmly welcome you here, Daniel. What, in your experience, are the main barriers to work for…
