§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will state the number of handicapped boys and girls unemployed in Newport. Monmouthshire, at the latest available date; and how this compares with the figures at an equivalent date over the past four years.
§ Mr. FernyhoughOn 14th July 1969 there were two unemployed registered disabled girls and no boys. The figures for the previous four years are:
Boys Girls 8th July, 1968 nil 2 10th July, 1967 2 1 11th July, 1966 1 nil 12th July, 1965 nil 2
§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will conduct an investigation on the effect of selective employment tax on the employment of handicapped boys and girls and on those of below average intelligence.
§ Mr. FernyhoughMy Department has kept a close watch on the employment situation of adult registered disabled persons since the introduction of S.E.T. 517W by means of regular surveys of the unemloyment figures of disabled persons last employed in the service and construction industries. There has been no evidence so far that disabled persons generally, as a group, have suffered disproportionately from the effects of the tax. We do not therefore propose to carry out at this stage a special investigation of the situation of handicapped young persons.