8. The Rev. Ll. Williamsasked the Minister of Labour if he will state the maximum number of disabled persons that can be employed in the Remploy Factory, Abertillery; the number now employed; the number on the list of disabled persons at the Abertillery Employment Exchange; and how many machines at the factory are still idle.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe factory could accommodate 100 workers; at present 75 severely disabled workers are employed and there are five others at present registered as unemployed at the Abertillery Employment Exchange. There are 11 sewing machines of different types not fully used, because they are not at present required for production.
The Rev. Ll. WilliamsIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this great scheme is not functioning as it was intended to do? In view of the very serious problem of these badly disabled people, will he not take steps to ensure that not only the Remploy Factory at Abertillery but Remploy factories all over the country are working at 100 per cent. production?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe difficulty with the Remploy Factory at Abertillery is that at the moment there are not enough orders to employ all the machines.