HC Deb 25 March 1971 vol 814 cc862-5
11. Mr. Farr

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take further steps to assist registered disabled persons in their search for work.

Mr. Dudley Smith

As the full reply is necessarily lengthy, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

However, I can tell my hon. Friend now that a steady increase is being made in the provision of sheltered employment and rehabilitation and training facilities and special steps are currently being taken to look more closely at the position in larger firms below quota.

Mr. Farr

This statement will be widely welcomed in the country because such persons already face grave difficulties. Is my hon. Friend aware, for instance, that all too often today the production of a disabled person's card to a prospective employer at the same time coincides with a marked lack of interest by the employer in the applicant?

Mr. Smith

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his remarks. I have recently approached the Rotary International, British Junior Chamber of Commerce and Round Table leaders, and I am having a conference with them to try to encourage them to get the attitude of individual employers to change where it needs to be changed.

Mr. Alfred Morris

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that we shall read the full text of his answer with close interest? Will the hon. Gentleman tell us the current level of unemployment among employable disabled people? Moreover, will he tell us how soon he expects the steps which he has announced today to have an improving effect on that position?

Mr. Smith

No one would pretend that this will be an overnight improvement. It is a difficult problem. The current unemployment rate among the disabled is 12.5 per cent., but it has always been higher than the national average of ordinary unemployment because of the extra difficulties. In some ways the figures are a bit illusory, because not every disabled person is on the register. People tend to go on it only when they lose their employment. I am hopeful that our measures will be a contribution. We also had a fundamental review within the Department to see whether we can bring about any other improvements.

Mr. Ashley

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the House will warmly appreciate the steps which he is taking to make genuine improvements in the situation? Nevertheless, the trend is increasingly bad for disabled workers over a long period. Will he therefore, without making a specific commitment now, consider a thorough-going inquiry into the whole question of the employment of disabled workers?

Mr. Smith

Yes. That is why the Department is looking into the question very seriously. It is, as I said, a very difficult problem. When the national unemployment rate is high, it becomes more difficult for the disabled. However, I am hopeful that the measures which I have announced today will make some improvement in the situation.

Mr. Freeson

Will the hon. Gentleman undertake to consult his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment with a view to encouraging local authorities which have empty factories within their areas to take them over, by purchase, to establish a much larger and wider range of sheltered workship facilities for the disabled than exist now?

Mr. Smith

I am not sure that that necessarily would achieve the desired end, but I will look into the matter and perhaps I can write to the hon. Gentleman about it.

Following is the information:

We have been considering what specific measures we can take in present circumstances to ensure that everything possible is being done to help those disabled people who are unable to find work.

It is only recently that the Disablement Resettlement Officer service has been re-organised and strengthened and it is as yet too early for the full effects to be felt. But the preliminary indications are that the changes have improved the effectiveness of the service and we expect this will be increasingly confirmed as further experience is gained of the revised set-up. Even in the present difficult condition the Disablement Resettlement Officers continue to find jobs for about 70,000 disabled people a year.

In this field, much depends on the attitude of individual employers. I am sure there is much good will but we need them to make a special effort. That is why I have approached Rotary International, the Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Round Table seeking their help in stimulating further local action in areas where the problems are greatest. I am hopeful that this will produce results.

Arrangements have been made to put greater emphasis than previously on formal inspections of employers' records as against informal visits. I am also taking steps to look more closely at the position of large employers who are below quota. We want to ensure that opportunities for employing disabled workers are not being overlooked.

My Department has set in hand a fundamental review of its services for the disabled. When this is completed we shall decide whether any revision of the present machinery is needed.

A steady increase is being made in the provisions of sheltered employment, industrial rehabilitation and in the training facilities available to the disabled. More than half the disabled persons currently unemployed are over 50, and we hope to help some of them through the scheme recently introduced in Development and Intermediate Areas under which employers may receive grants for re-training older unemployed workers who are engaged for permanent jobs. 1 am ensuring that disability is taken sympathetically into account in fixing the period of grant. We are also urging Disablement Resettlement Officers to make greater use of the arrangements, available in all areas, under which disabled persons may be trained with employers in semi-skilled trades at Government expense.