DISABLED PERSONS (EMPLOYMENT) BILL. (Hansard, 15 February 1944)

§ LORD SNELL
My Lords, this Bill is based upon the recommendations made by the Inter-Departmental Committee set up at the end of 1941 under the chairman- ship of my honourable friend Mr. Tomlin-son, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and National Service. The important charge laid upon that Committee was to consider and to make proposals for a comprehensive scheme of rehabilitation of disabled persons. The Report of the Committee was published at the beginning of 1943, and its proposals were generally welcomed throughout the country. The Government accepted the scheme in principle, and its proposals were discussed with representatives of the employers, the trade unions and the King's Roll National Council. Therefore this Bill, which I specially commend to your Lordships, has been 764 planned upon this basis of agreement, and it carries out substantially the proposals made in the Tomlinson Report.
The need for the remedial measures which the Bill proposes is universally recognized. One of the most distressing sights in our village or city streets is the disabled man or woman whose disadvantages and suffering might have been avoided, or at least greatly reduced, had he or she received at the proper time appropriate and efficient attention. The fact that he was neglected or inefficiently treated when proper treatment might have saved the individual from a life of chronic disability and have saved the nation from the loss of the services of a wealth-winning citizen was not the fault of any person, of any group, or indeed of the community generally; it was due to the fact that the possibilities of rehabilitation had not been sufficiently realized. I hesitate to express an opinion upon a medical matter, but I believe that in the last 25 years immense progress in both physio- and occupational-therapy has been made, and that for the sufferers for whom a generation ago there would have been little hope, there is now a greatly increased prospect of recovery. Our knowledge of the processes of rehabilitation is still incomplete, but we have learnt something, and both the Government and the nation are firmly resolved that, so far as it can be done, these tragedies of broken human lives shall be reduced to a minimum.
This Bill is designed to achieve that universally desired result. When it becomes an Act it will bring hope and consolation to all disabled persons, either of war or industry. Let us remember that hope itself is a therapeutic agent. We are told in Measure for Measure that the miserable have no other medicine but only hope. If there be any truth in the German slogan of "Strength through joy," it is quite certain that strength and health can come through hope and properly applied knowledge. The shock to a man when he learns that he will not again be self-supporting, or be able to follow his accustomed occupation, could be immensely reduced by knowledge and by the assurance that, at the worst, he can be trained to be efficient in another industry. That is what this clumsy word "rehabilitation" means. It means nothing more than that through medical and surgical skill, through mind adaptation, 765 and through the patient's own co-operation, much can be done to restore him to be a self-supporting and normally happy human being. On these grounds I feel sure your Lordships will welcome this Bill. The war is teaching us that we cannot afford to waste or misuse any of our national resources, and we now realize that the worst form of waste is to leave human beings to lifelong disability when, by proper application of remedial measures, they might be restored to health and to industrial efficiency.
A further defence of the Bill is not necessary, but I shall add a few words of general explanation. The Bill is based upon four general principles. First, rehabilitation is not solely a medical problem. The process of rehabilitation starts as soon as possible after the injury has been received. The Bill does not deal with medical rehabilitation because that forms part of a comprehensive medical service. The purpose of the Bill is to provide for such measures in the industrial sphere as are necessary after the completion of medical treatment. The second principle is that the steps taken must be on a comprehensive basis and must deal with the problem in all its aspects. The Bill is designed to be a permanent addition to the country's Social Services. All forms of disablement, whether due to injury or disease or congenital deformity, are brought within the ambit of the Bill. The third principle is that, save for a minority, disablement does not, and should not, prevent the undertaking of employment suited to individual abilities. However serious the handicap may appear to be, there is still a wide range of choice in the field of industry, with its greet division of labour. The problem is essentially one of choosing the occupation suited to the disability. Special provision is made for the establishment of courses of vocational training. We have learnt through the war what the advantages of specialized training are. It has been demonstrated that thousands have been taught occupations and processes which in normal times would have been regarded as beyond their individual capacity. The fourth principle is that successful resettlement calls for special measures to assist the injured persons in their entry into employment. The problem is too widespread to be left entirely to purely voluntary effort, and some kind of compulsion is therefore necessary. The 766 Bill contains carefully-thought-out proposals to secure this end.
I need not detain your Lordships with any further description of the Bill beyond pointing out what the various clauses contain. Clause I provides a definition of disablement. Clauses 2 to 5 enable the Minister to establish courses of vocational training and industrial rehabilitation. Clauses 6 to 14 provide for the establishment of a register of disabled persons and impose upon employers a statutory obligation to employ a certain percentage of disabled who have been so registered. Clause 15 contains a provision for the establishment of special facilities for the more seriously disabled. Clause 16 lays down the principle that if at any time the facilities for training or employment should be found insufficient to meet the needs of the whole group of disabled persons covered by this Bill, preference should be given to those who have served in His Majesty's Forces or in the Merchant Navy. The remaining clauses deal with general questions of administration. The Bill has received the support of every section of opinion in another place, through which it passed without challenge and with general good will. I invite your Lordships to give to it a similar reception to-day, and I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

§ LORD ADDISON
My Lords, I rise on behalf of my noble friend Lord Nathan, who was to have said a word in support of this Bill to-day but, owing to indisposition, is unable to be present. As I heard the noble Lord explaining it, I could not help wishing that we could have had a Bill like this before the conclusion of the last war. With all the possibilities that are contained within such a Bill we know what great advances could have been made. Nothing can do more to rehabilitate an individual than to give him hope that in the future he will become self-supporting again. Of course in the long run it will require, as it has now obtained and I hope will continue to have, the good will both of the employers and trade unionists, and I cannot help thinking that so splendid an object will receive their good will and support.

§ VISCOUNT SAMUEL
My Lords, on behalf of noble Lords who sir on these 767 Benches, I desire to express our cordial concurrence in the purposes and proposals of this Bill.

§ THE EARL OF DUDLEY
My Lords, I should like to put one point to the noble Lord who has moved the Second Reading of the Bill. This technique of rehabilitation is no new technique. It has been developed over many years on a voluntary basis and I am personally very glad that it has now been put on a statutory basis. But a great deal is known about the technique, which has been developed by such pioneers as Sir Robert Jones, who is well known to many of your Lordships, Dame Agnes Hunt, Professor Girdlestone and the Wingfield Hospital. A great deal therefore is now known about it. Clause 17 of the Bill provides for the setting-up of an Advisory Committee to advise the Minister on various aspects of this work. I only wish to express the hope that that Advisory Committee will be set up on the widest possible scale so as to embrace all possible institutions and individuals who have had experience of this technique. I refer to such institutions as the Central Council for the Cure of Cripples, which has been co-ordinating work among cripples for many years past and is thoroughly versed in the very difficult technique of rehabilitation. There is a great deal more to it than noble Lords would think, and therefore I hope the point I have put forward will be considered and emphasized by giving the widest possible representation on the Advisory Committee to all those who have had experience of the work.

LORD GIFFORD
My Lords, I should like to say one word in support of this Bill as managing director of a firm which for over fifty years has taken great interest in this problem, the Theatre Ticket and Messenger Company, Limited (the Old District Messenger Company). This company has, for many years under its late Chairman, Sir George Manners, given employment to disabled men, and to show what can be done by a private firm I should like to tell your Lordships that in our very small staff we have disabled men with an aggregate period of service with the company exceeding 400 years, including several disabled men with over 30 and 40 years' service. Perhaps I may be allowed to add that we have 768 never regretted the pioneer efforts of this firm in the rehabilitation of the disabled.

§ LORD SNELL
My Lords, with permission of the House may I say that I am sure the Department will take note of the suggestion made by the noble Earl, Lord Dudley, and I myself will see that his remarks are brought to-its notice?