§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled people are currently employed in enclaves.
§ Mr. John GrantI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that on 31st March 1977, the latest date for which figures are available, the number was 119.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the criteria for employment in a sheltered workshop.
§ Mr. John GrantI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that sheltered workshops are provided so that severely disabled people, whose disabilities are such that they cannot obtain or retain jobs under ordinary working conditions, may have opportunities to work under sheltered conditions. Sheltered workshops provide paid and productive employment in a commercial environment, and the conditions of work approximate as closely as practicable to those in open industry. In order to be considered for entry into sheltered employment severely disabled people must be able to do a full week's paid work which will contribute substantially to the cost of the undertaking.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of disabled people in sheltered workshops in each impairment group at the last date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. John GrantI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is not possible to provide complete figures 651W by impairment groups. The numbers and types of disability of Remploy's disabled employees at 31st March 1977 were:
Type of disability Nos. Amputation 255 Arthritis and rheumatism 271 Diseases of the digestive system 128 Diseases of the genito-urinary sytem 64 Diseases of the heart and circulatory system. 614 Diseases of the lungs (except tuberculosis) 550 Diseases of the skin 40 Ear defects 303 Eye defects 143 Injuries of the head, face, neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis and trunk 159 Injuries and diseases (except TB) of upper limbs 255 Injuries and diseases (except TB) of lower limbs 686 Paraplegia 231 Injuries and diseases (except paraplegia and TB) of the spine 558 Psychoneurosis and other mental illnesses 749 Epilepsy 813 Organic nervous diseases other than epilepsy 606 Mental sub-normality. 861 Tuberculosis—pulmonary 271 Tuberculosis—non-pulmonary 96 Other diseases and disabilities 319 Of the people in sheltered employment outside Remploy there were, at 31st March 1977, 1,832 blind people and 131 partially sighted people in workshops for blind people. Information about the type of disability of the other 3,410 sighted severely disabled people in workshops run by local authorities is not available.