Members' Business: Epilepsy and Employment in Scotland

Alasdair Allan S6M-02932 That the Parliament welcomes new research commissioned by Epilepsy Scotland from the Scottish Centre for Employment Research, which highlights the difficulties facing people with epilepsy to find and retain secure employment; understands that Scotland has some of the greatest disability employment gaps in the UK; notes reports that only 36.9% of people with epilepsy in the UK are employed, which it understands is lower than the general disability employment rate of 44.4%; considers that a lack of knowledge about epilepsy and how it is individually experienced is contributing to this significant employment gap; notes the calls for substantial investment in research to improve data and better understand the employment barriers that are facing people with epilepsy in Scotland, and further notes the calls on the Scottish Government to urgently assess how the strategic framework, A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People, is meeting the needs of people with epilepsy, including in Na h-Eileanan an Iar, and if anything further can be done in the medium to long term to improve rates of employment in this population.