§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is his policy towards the employment of blind people as blind persons' resettlement officers;
(2) if he will discriminate in favour of blind persons when appointing blind persons' resettlement officers.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that blind persons resettlement officer posts are filled by staff in the executive officer grade and appointment to this grade is made either by promotion from the clerical grade or by direct recruitment through the Civil Service Commission open competition. Candidates for the open competition must have obtained either five GCE passes, two of them at A-level obtained in the same examination, and be under the age of 28 or have two A-levels or equivalent qualifications and be at least 28 and under 50 years of age. Blind people with the appropriate experience and qualifications are appointed to the Executive Grade.
Blind people who have recently been successful have not been considered for 369W BPRO posts because the duties are unsuitable for someone with a severe visual handicap. With only 32 officers covering the whole country, each BPRO has a large area to cover and, with many domiciliary visits and calls on employers being an essential aspect of the duties, the BPRO, to be efficient and effective, needs to be a car owner-driver. It is becoming increasingly difficult to undertake the duties adequately, aided by public transport, and the blind BPROs currently in post are employed only in urban areas where the amount of travelling is manageable.
§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many blind people are unemployed in the North-West of England; and how many are under the age of 25 years;
(2) how many blind people are unemployed in the United Kingdom; and how many are under the age of 25 years;
(3) how the numbers of unemployed blind people in the North-West of England compare with the national average.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of blind people unemployed in the North-West Region of England when the last count was made in April 1975 was 146. No records are maintained giving the ages of unemployed blind people. The number of blind people unemployed in England, Scotland and Wales in April 1975 was 865. The unemployment rate amongst blind people in the North-West Region at that date was 12.1 per cent. Nationally it was 10.3 per cent.