Chair's pledge on human rights inquiry

A disabled peer has put human rights at the heart of a parliamentary committee’s investigation into the impact of Government cuts, reports Sunil Peck

The Government will not be able to duck the findings of an inquiry into whether its policies are undermining disabled people’s right to live independently, the chair of an influential committee of MPs and peers has said.

Speaking to Disability Now after launching the inquiry, Hywel Francis MP (pictured), Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, said that the inquiry had been undertaken at the behest of one of the committee’s members, Baroness Jane Campbell.

“We considered very seriously the impact of the spending review on the human rights of disabled people. Rather than start an inquiry last Autumn, we decided to delay it until now when we felt that we would be able to have a more accurate picture from people across the country as the changes and cuts began to have an impact.”

The inquiry, which has been accepting written evidence since February, is significant because it represents the first high profile parliamentary scrutiny of the impact of Government policy on disabled people in the context of human rights.

Speaking at the first public evidence session were representatives from the United Kingdom Disabled People’s Council, Disability Alliance, RADAR and the National Centre for Independent Living.

They told the committee that the closure of the Independent Living Fund, welfare cuts and slashed social care budgets were creating barriers to disabled people’s right to live independently, a right set out in the United Nations convention promoting human rights for disabled people which has been ratified by the UK Government.

The Government must respond once the inquiry’s findings have been published. But it will not be under any obligation to implement any recommendations. Given the Government’s apparent unwillingness to listen to the vociferous protests of disabled people’s campaigns so far, does Hywel Francis understand why some might be sceptical about what the inquiry might achieve?

“I do appreciate that scepticism, but I do have to say that governments historically have always paid attention [to our committee]. The very fact that important evidence is being given by the people who are at the sharp end is something that any government must respond to. We recently published a report on policing protest and we gathered evidence from the Metropolitan Police and students’ unions and the Government, I think, valued what was gathered. Constructive criticisms were made and they have paid attention, as have the police.”

The inquiry will be calling ministers from England and the devolved administrations to give evidence. Hywel Francis is also keen for submissions from disabled people.

•To see the terms of reference for the inquiry and for details on submitting evidence, visit parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/joint-select/human-rights-committee/news/independent-living-inquiry-launch/