§ 10. Ms Helen Southworth (Warrington, South)If he will make a statement on the progress of the new deal for disabled people. [88975]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Ms Margaret Hodge)The new deal for disabled people, currently being piloted, is making good progress. Although the journey towards work will take many months for many in that client group, I am pleased to report that, by the end of May, a total of 472 people had already been placed in jobs.
§ Ms SouthworthI thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Does she agree that this is the ideal time for employers in large, medium and small companies to review their recruitment, and to take advantage of the benefits to their companies of employing people with disabilities? I am holding discussions with employers in my constituency. What is my hon. Friend doing to encourage employers, nationally, to seize that opportunity?
§ Ms HodgeWe are working with many employers so that they can recruit from the widest possible pool of talent, including people with disabilities. For example, in Manchester, where we are running a disabled person pilot, Centrica has employed 50 people with disabilities, and carers. B and Q is another large employer, which has put disability in the mainstream, in respect both of employment and the supply of goods and services. In the Thurso scheme, we are working with employers; 30 people are now in work, who were—between them—unemployed for a total of 194 years. One third of those people had been unemployed for more than nine years and some of them had been unemployed for more than 20 years. That example demonstrates the importance of the scheme for getting disabled people into work.
§ Mr. Paul Keetch (Hereford)I add the congratulations of Liberal Democrat Members to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on his position on the Opposition Front Bench. I am not sure whether he is in the gateway period, but, given the rather high staff turnover in the Conservative education team, perhaps his job is not too long term.
What is the benchmark for the success of the new deal for disabled people? Given that, before the introduction of the new deal, 21 per cent. of those disallowed incapacity benefit had found full-time jobs within six months, does the Minster accept that the new deal will have to do better than that if it is to be judged a success?
§ Ms HodgeWe are being extremely careful in rolling out the new deal for disabled people to ensure that we find out what works before there is a national roll-out. It is a complex area of policy development, given the broad spectrum of disabilities with which we are coping and the real barriers to employment faced by many disabled people. We shall review that benchmark at an appropriate time, but I am sure that the hon. Gentleman agrees that it would be wrong to set inappropriate targets without learning what works.
§ Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen, South)I am sure that my hon. Friend is aware of the concerns of a number of disabled people: that they will be called in for interview; that they may be unable to gain access to the building; that the adviser will be insensitive to their needs; and that 1171 they may be placed in a job that they cannot do. What measures is she taking to ensure that such concerns are properly addressed?
§ Ms HodgeThe new deal for disabled people is a voluntary programme. So far, we have managed to engage more than 3,000 people in the programme following their first interviews, and nearly 2,000 are implementing a focused employment action plan.
We are taking a number of steps to ensure that disabled people see this as an opportunity. For example, the implementation of part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will of itself ensure proper access to services for disabled people. The Disability Rights Commission—the legislation to establish it completed its passage through the Commons last week—will also provide a vehicle to support the rights of individuals.
The opportunity to work is a crucial civil right for disabled people. I say that on the basis of my meetings with disabled people. That opportunity restores their self-esteem, their sense of value and their self-confidence. It is vital, and it is something that we intend to pursue.
§ Mr. Tim Boswell (Daventry)It is common ground in the House that the employment of persons with disabilities requires a good deal of care, sensitivity and, indeed, expense. In the light of what the Minister has said, will she confirm that all personal advisers will have expertise, or access to it, in regard to the particular disabilities—or complex of disabilities—of people seeking employment? Does she share the view of the disability charities that the balance between expenditure on the new deal for the disabled and the new deal for young people may require some re-examination?
Finally—in the light of what she said about pilot schemes—will the Minister confirm that the new deal for the disabled is on target for the plan to roll out nationally on 1 April next year?
§ Ms HodgeFirst, let me welcome the hon. Gentleman to the Front Bench. I think that this is the first occasion on which I have had the pleasure of engaging him in debate on disability rights, but I welcome him back to the Front Bench—although nowadays it is the Opposition Front Bench.
Personal advisers receive training in respect of all the new deals, and the disability organisations are involved in the training that we provide for personal advisers in all the employment programmes in which we are engaged. As for the amount of money that has been set aside, the new deal for disabled people is only one part of our employment programme to help disabled people to obtain work. Last year, the Employment Service helped nearly 100,000 disabled people to gain employment.
Are we on target for rolling this out nationally? Let me repeat what I said earlier: my view is that we must get this right before we roll it out nationally. I will not be stuck with a date if we have not established what works in terms of securing opportunities for disabled people to obtain work.
§ Mrs. Theresa May (Maidenhead)indicated dissent
§ Ms HodgeLet me tell the hon. Lady that I consider this to be one of the most exciting, innovative initiatives that we have launched. It gives disabled people opportunities, and it is not a subject for cheap gibes.