HC Deb 02 July 1953 vol 517 cc586-7
51. Dr. Broughton

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons who are registered as disabled persons and who have been accepted for work in the Remploy factory, Hunslet, Leeds, are awaiting engagement in the factory.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour (Mr. Harold Watkinson)

Of the two Remploy factories at Hunslet, Leeds, one has four registered disabled persons accepted and awaiting engagement; the other, restricted to tuberculous workers, has none. It is expected that one of the four disabled persons will shortly start work at the Bradford Remploy factory.

Dr. Broughton

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that my attention has recently been drawn to the case of a constituent of mine who had been waiting for engagement for over 12 months? Will the hon. Gentleman say where the bottleneck is appearing? Is it that the factory cannot take any more disabled persons, or is there a difficulty in finding employment in industry for these people after they have been trained?

Mr. Watkinson

No. I know of the hon. Member's great interest in this matter and also of the particular case he mentions. We can meet that case, and the man will be commencing work this week in the Remploy factory. In the other two factories, in the last year we have been able to get 10 extra men into the ordinary factory and 23 infectious tuberculosis cases into the special factory, so I think we are making progress.