§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what considerations she has given to relieving employers for part or all of the national insurance contribution liability in respect of any employee who is a registered disabled person.
§ Mr. Alfred Morris,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd January 1976; Vol 903, c. 598], circulated the following information:
Contributions for employed people are now related to the level of their earnings and, if a disabled person has low earnings, this will be reflected in the contributions which he and his employer will pay.
The earnings of disabled people are very often no different from those of able-bodied people doing the same job. Thus I do not think that this particular suggestion takes us in the right direction. There have already been wide-ranging consultations about the employment opportunities of disabled people and the measures necessary to enable them to take the best advantage of these opportunities. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Employment announced fresh initiatives on 10th December last.—[Vol. 902, c. 459–68.] We shall shortly be undertaking further consultation on areas where the responsibilities of our two Departments interact.