§ 4. Sir Patrick Hannonasked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement on the recuperative work in process under the direction of his Ministry to enable wounded men of the fighting services to return to gainful employment while receiving treatment for physical disability.
§ Mr. BevinThe schemes at present operated by my Department to assist disabled persons, ex-Service and others, to return to gainful employment are directed particularly to the provision of courses of vocational training and industrial rehabilitation on the completion of medical treatment. I am sending my hon. Friend an explanatory leaflet on these schemes. Section 3 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act will enable me to develop measures of industrial rehabilitation under adequate medical supervision and I already have at Egham an industrial rehabilitation centre, with a resident doctor.
§ Sir P. HannonDoes my right hon. Friend contemplate an extension of similar institutions in other parts of the country?
§ Mr. BevinI do not know about this particular institution because, in dealing with the disabled, I have to vary the institutions to meet different types of disablement.
§ Mr. Ness EdwardsWill the Minister consider placing one of these institutions in South Wales, as persons have been sent from there to a place on the bomb path, which is not suitable for neurotic cases?
§ Mr. BevinIt is difficult to establish these institutions while I am very short of doctors, and I must wait until I can staff them.
§ 5. Sir P. Hannonasked the Minister of Labour if he will give the figures, as at the nearest convenient date, of the cases of wounded or injured men dealt with successfully at the Birmingham Accident Hospital; how many have been rehabilitated in gainful employment; and if the establishment of similar institutions at other centres is receiving consideration.
§ Mr. BevinI am aware of the particular scheme which I think my hon. Friend has in mind, but as it is not set up under the auspices of my Department I have no authoritative information as to the numbers dealt with. My officers are in touch with the hospital with a view to assisting disabled people to obtain employment and to arrange, where necessary, for vocational training. Schemes of industrial rehabilitation within the scope of Section 3 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 will be developed by my Department as found to be necessary.
§ Sir P. HannonHas my right hon. Friend made any special appeal to employers to assist him by taking these rehabilitated men?
§ Mr. BevinI have established special officers of my Department in the regions to deal with these disablement cases. I thought the better way was for them to make personal contacts with employers, rather than to make general public appeals.