Agreeing to disagree

Conservative disability shadow Mark Harper’s disagreements with the government seem to be over delivery rather than policy, says Paul Carter

Even the confident and self-assured Mark Harper cannot disguise the fact that he and his party are broadly in agreement with government plans to move more disabled people back into work.

Having said that, much of the talk by his shadow ministerial colleagues during the Conservative party conference took a harder line than had previously been heard on reforming the welfare system.

But Harper insists that the stronger language is aimed at those on benefits such as jobseeker’s allowance, and not disabled people who are unable to work.

“Obviously, those people will be treated with respect and dignity, and won’t be forced onto work programmes,” he told us.

“There is a bigger group of people who actually want to work, and who could work, but are unable to do so at the moment, and need more care and support to do so.”

Theresa May, shadow leader of the House, also told the conference there must be a “revolution in the workplace” to introduce the flexible working that would enable disabled people to work.

There are other areas of government policy with which Harper is in broad agreement, such as individual budgets, but he says he has doubts about the speed of delivery.

“The government have previously said that there are 1.7m people who would be eligible for individual budgets, but there are only 7,000 people currently getting them.

“They’ve said that they want all people who are eligible to have the choice of having them by 2010, but given that that is two years away…it seems unlikely that will happen.”

Pressed on how a Conservative government would ally the desire to get people into work against an increasing backdrop of inadequate social care provision, he says individual budgets are the best way to allow people to tailor care packages to make working easier.

“People need control over the timing and delivery of that care to fit around work. Individual budgets can give people more choice and control. If we don’t do that, then those people won’t be able to work.”

With a new minister for disabled people having taken office in last month’s reshuffle, Harper also expresses concern that the position might become marginalised in government, with the new minister Jonathan Shaw also holding responsibility as minister for the south-east.

As for ratifying the UN Convention, Harper says Conservatives agree with the government that there should be two opt-outs: the uniformed armed forces and education.

“There is a concern that the convention could be used to take away the choice to send a child to special school, if they think that’s right for their child.”

The party also pledged to introduce combined personal budgets for people with health and social care needs, with a means-tested element for social care needs, and a free healthcare element.