By Geoff Adams-Spink Age & disability correspondent, BBC News website

McGuire speaks of a 'step-change'

What is the Disability Equality Duty (DED)?

AM: It places an obligation on public authorities to promote equality for disabled people. We see it being a real step-change in the way in which disability rights and services to disabled people are delivered in this country by the public sector. It's also a step-change in the level of involvement of disabled people in policy making and the way in which services are developed.

Which public bodies are covered by this duty?

AM: Just about all public authorities are covered unless they are exempted. Parliament is exempt, for example, because you can't put a duty on the supreme legislature. Essentially, all local authorities, health authorities, schools (but their duty doesn't come in until next year for operational reasons) the National Audit Commission, the Rent Service, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. It covers all the main public authorities with one or two exceptions.

What about semi-public bodies like the BBC?

AM: Yes, the DED applies to the BBC as well.

Can you give some concrete examples of how the DED is going to make a difference?

AM: It's not going to be a tick-box exercise. We certainly have been very clear with public authorities that this is not what we're expecting. There will be a duty on public authorities now to involve disabled people. This is to redress the balance that - for too long - services were often tailored to meet the needs of the provider and not those who actually received the services. That's why we are clear about involvement at policy development stage. It's not good enough to go out and consult after officials in a local authority have put their heads around a policy: It's about where you link in with local disabled people and making sure you engage with them on a meaningful basis.

What is the Disability Equality Scheme?

AM: The scheme itself that they are expected to publish will show what their plans are for engaging, where they have engaged, what they see are the areas to change, and how they are going to progress that. It's a genuine scheme and a plan of action.

How do disability organisations, and disabled people who are recipients of services or involved in public bodies, check progress against the published plan?

AM: The audit element will be very much linked to some of the wider processes for public authorities. The National Audit Office itself will be part of the DED. We're not being prescriptive in setting a template for engagement. It's very much linked to local developments. The plans themselves will be subject to scrutiny - the Disability Rights Commission have obviously got a role in this - and in the worst possible scenario there is the option for judicial review.

What I have picked up is that there is a very positive reaction to engagement on the DED and the publishing of schemes. The good thing about the duty is that it's not just about the clerk on the desk, it's actually the chief executive of the council or public authority, it's the Secretary of State in some instances, or the leader of the council who all carry some responsibility. This is about embedding equality inside a public authority.

To what extent will some local authorities try to minimise their duties under the DED by saying that they don't have sufficient resources?

AM: It's not a resource issue. It's about how they do things and - to be honest with you - many public authorities are already doing good work in involving disabled people. I don't accept the resource argument. Local authorities already have some experience with the race equality duty. They are well geared up to that. We at the DWP are going to carry out an audit on compliance early in the New Year.

How will an ordinary person, living in an ordinary house in an ordinary street, feel the difference over the next few years?

AM: I would hope that disabled people will see an increase in the level of involvement and engagement with public authorities - from policy development through to service delivery.

To give an everyday example, we have great changes made in the collection of rubbish across the country. I know that in many communities the introduction of the wheelie bin caused great anxiety for many disabled and elderly people. If local authorities - in that key service - had looked at the needs of disabled people from the beginning there wouldn't have got into the 'fankle' - as we Scots say - that many of them get into because it would have been there from the beginning.