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Disability Commissioner Bill proposal officially lodged

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 6th December 2022

Jeremy Balfour MSP is lodging a member's bill in the Scottish Parliament, seeking to establish a Disability Commissioner.

Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour has officially lodged his proposal (this link will take you away from our website) for a Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill with the Scottish Parliament. If established, the commissioner is intended to promote and safeguard the rights and interests of disabled people.

A consultation on the proposal was held earlier this year, and analysis of the responses have been published (this link will take you away from our website). Of the around 200 responses, over half came from people with lived experience of disability. 90% of respondents were supportive of the proposal, with similar levels of support for other elements of the proposed bill including a remit covering all disabilities, and a responsibility for promoting best practice.

In our response to the consultation the ALLIANCE welcomed the general principles of the proposed bill, and called for any such commissioner to have the broadest possible powers to investigate Scottish public bodies and service providers. In addition, we suggested that there should be a specific duty to involve disabled people in the work of the commissioner. You can read the ALLIANCE response to the consultation here.

In order to further progress the Bill, it now has to receive support from at least 18 other MSPs, who must come from at least two different political parties. If this stage is successful, a draft bill will be written and formally introduced to the Scottish Parliament for debate.

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