HC Deb 19 April 1994 vol 241 cc725-6
3. Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the employment of people with disabilities.

The Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. David Hunt)

Many, especially from my hon. Friend.

Mr. Thurnham

Will my right hon. Friend ensure that the example set by his Department is followed by other Government Departments and by bodies throughout the public sector? Will he put his personal imprint on the code of good practice? Will he appoint an ombudsman to ensure that the civil service code is applied throughout the public sector?

Mr. Hunt

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his praise for the code, which I warmly and strongly endorse. I share his wish to see the code extended. I should like to see many other bodies, especially public bodies, endorsing the aims of the code and introducing codes of their own. I shall, of course, consider carefully my hon. Friend's other points.

Mr. Wigley

Will the Secretary of State recall that it was 50 years ago when legislation was introduced providing that 3 per cent. of all employees should be disabled people? Is he aware that only 0.7 per cent. of private sector employees are disabled and that the situation is not much better in the public sector, where only 0.8 per cent. of employees are disabled? What will he do to try to overcome this and ensure that disabled people have their fair share of employment within these islands?

Mr. Hunt

First, consideration in Committee of the Civil Rights (Disabled People) Bill, which was promoted by the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry), has just been completed and I am considering carefully the issues that were raised at that stage.

Secondly, if we consider the placings made by the specialist advisers of the Employment Service, who put people with disabilities into work, we find that last year the total was over 40,000. I have set the special advisers a target of 55,000 placings for this financial year. I hope that the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) will accept that that is a laudable objective and I am confident that it will be met by the Employment Service.

Mr. Prescott

Does the Secretary of State accept that the code, which the House endorses, is creating unemployment at something like four times the average level of unemployment in the country at present? Can he tell us whether Government Departments are observing the code? If they are not observing it, does he not think that he should be setting an example and asking them to observe it?

Mr. Hunt

I wish that the hon. Gentleman would check his facts. He is talking to the Secretary of State of a Government Department which observes and meets the quota requirement.

Mr. Elletson

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the problems faced by epileptics in employment? Will he look into the case of my constituent, Helen Barr, who was recently sacked from her job as a hospital cleaner ostensibly on the ground that she had an epileptic fit even though she declared that she was an epileptic when she took on the job? Does he agree that epilepsy is a disability just like any other, but is widely misunderstood by employers, and that epileptics face widespread discrimination and prejudice?

Mr. Hunt

My hon. Friend has highlighted an important case and an important area. I accept that there is a need to guide employers about some disabilities in particular. My recollection is that the Employment Service produces a guide on epilepsy. If it does not, I will make sure that it does, and I shall send a copy to my hon. Friend.