§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers (a) in Merseyside, (b) in Kirkby and (c) in Ormskirk have participated in the job introduction scheme for disabled people; and how many employers have applied for grants to adapt their premises for the disabled.
§ Mr. John GrantI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the number of employers in these areas who have participated in the job introduction scheme for disabled people since it commenced on 4 July 1977 are as follows:
(a) Merseyside, 98 employers; (b) Kirkby, 6 employers; (c) Ormskirk, none.
I am also informed that the number of employers in these areas who have applied for grants to adapt their premises for the disabled are:
(a) Merseyside, 4 employers; (b) Kirkby, none; (c) Ormskirk, none.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered disabled unemployed there are (a) on Merseyside, (b) in Kirkby and (c) in Ormskirk; and what measures are being taken, and are proposed, to reduce that number.
§ Mr. John GrantI am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that on 8 February 1979, the latest date for which information is available, 3,343 registered disabled people were unemployed in the county of Merseyside, including 153 in Kirkby. A further 50 were unemployed in Ormskirk.
The MSC is very concerned to reduce unemployment among disabled people. Efforts to persuade employers to adopt positive policies on the employment of disabled people will continue and will be boosted by a major promotional campaign this coming autumn.
The MSC published its programme for developing employment and training 347W services for disabled people in February 1978. The programme sets out measures designed to improve the specialised services to help disabled people choose, train for, get and keep worthwhile jobs. Measures such as the capital grants, job introduction and revised fares to work schemes should help improve employment prospects for disabled people.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of employers in (a) Merseyside, (b) Kirkby and (c) Ormskirk are meeting his Department's
Merseyside County Kirkby Ormskirk Number and percentage of employers satisfying their 3 per cent. quota 460 (42.5%) 33 (58.9%) 17 (46%) Number and percentage of employers below quota who obtained permits in the previous 12 months before engaging able-bodied people 430 (39.7%) 17 (30.4%) 3 (21.6%) The remaining employers who were below quota and without permit had not necessarily broken the law unless they had engaged able-bodied people.
Disablement resettlement officers are in regular contact with employers to explain the quota obligation and to advise them on the employment of disabled people, and authorised officers of the MSC carry out an annual programme of inspections of the records of employers subject to quota. However, the MSC recognises the difficulties facing employers in satisfying quota, particularly as only disabled people who voluntarily register count towards quota, and is aware of the need to reflect the true extent to which employment is being provided for disabled people. The MSC is currently reviewing the quota scheme with a view to making recommendations about the best way of helping disabled workers. The Commission will issue a discussion paper in the near future to give interested organisations a chance to give their views.