Voluntary Organisations Disability Group Press Statement
7 November 2023
Responding to today’s Kings Speech, Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) says:
‘While we unfortunately did not have high hopes for anything in the King’s Speech regarding social care reform this year, today is an opportunity missed in terms of addressing some of the urgent challenges faced by disabled children, young people and adults and the third sector organisation working with them.
‘We had hoped the government would do the right thing and bring forward its own manifesto commitment to address issues with the Mental Health Act, which is long overdue reform.
‘The current Act is 40 years old and is not fit for purpose. It urgently needs legislative changes, including the removal of having a learning disability or autism as a reason for detention. Given the work already undertaken to review the act and draft improvements, this should have been an easy inclusion for the government to make and an indication of its support for disabled people, which to date has been severely lacking.’
ENDS
The Full King's Speech can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-kings-speech-2023-background-briefing-notes
The Government's legislative programme for the year ahead includes:
- Automated Vehicles Bill
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
- Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
- Media Bill
- Arbitration Bill
- Draft Rail Reform Bill
- Tobacco and Vapes Bill
- Leasehold and Freehold Bill
- Renters (Reform) Bill
- Holocaust Memorial Bill
- Sentencing Bill
- Criminal Justice Bill
- Victims and Prisoners Bill