§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to increase the number of registered disabled persons employed in his Department and the Land Registry; and when he expects to achieve the 3 per cent. target in each case.
§ Mr. ShoreMany of my Department's staff are recruited by the Civil Service Commission. For those which we recruit ourselves it is the practice to notify the British Council for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled of any recruitment exercise for clerical staff so that these employment opportunities can be brought to the attention of disabled people. Disabled persons applying are considered 169W in the same way as other applicants. For industrial vacancies, which arise mainly in local units, the Employment Services Agency's jobcentres are told if the posts are suitable for disabled people. Because of staffing economies, there is at present little scope for recruitment in my Department and I cannot forecast when the target quota might be met.
I have no Ministerial responsibility for the Land Registry, Questions on which should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.