HC Deb 30 June 1980 vol 987 cc374-9W
Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many, and what proportion, of (a) English metropolitan counties, (b) English metropolitan districts, (c) English non-metropolitan counties, (d) English non-metropolitan districts, (e) Greater London authorities, (f) Welsh counties, (g) Welsh districts, (h) Scottish regions, (i) Scottish island auth-

Number and proportion who satisfied the 3 per cent, quota
Types of authority 1976 1977 1978 1979
(a) English metropolitan counties Nil Nil Nil Nil
(b) English metropolitan districts Nil Nil Nil Nil
(c) English non-metropolitan counties Nil Nil Nil Nil
(d) English non-metropolitan districts 97 87 78 51
(32.8%) (29.4%) (26.4%) (17.2%)
(e) Greater London authorities 1 1 1 1
(2.9%) (2.9%) (2.9%) (2.9%)
(f) Welsh counties 1 (12.5%) 1 (12.5%) Nil Nil
(g) Welsh districts 16 20 16 16
(43.2%) (54.1%) (43.2%) (43.2%)
(h) Scottish regions Nil Nil Nil Nil
(i) Scottish island authorities Nil Nil Nil Nil
(j) Scottish districts 14 16 16 15
(26.4%) (30.2%) (30.2%) (28.3%)

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the total work force has been registered disabled in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively, in each of the last five years.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the information requested is set out below. Figures shown are for May of each year. The figure for 1980 is provisional and based on the total work force as at May 1979.

England
Per cent.
1976 2.3
1977 2.2
1978 2.1
1979 1.9
1980 1.8
Wales
Per cent.
1976 3.2
1977 3.1
1978 2.9
1979 2.8
1980 2.7
Scotland
Per cent.
1976 2.3
1977 2.2
1978 2.0
1979 2.0
1980 1.9

orities and (j) Scottish districts satisfied the 3 per cent. quota for employment of registered disabled people in each of the last five years.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that the information requested was not collected centrally, in years prior to 1976, and is not yet available for 1980. The information in respect of the years 1976 to 1979 is set out in the table below.

Great Britain
Per cent.
1976 2.3
1977 2.3
1978 2.1
1979 1.9
1980 1.9

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to increase the proportion of disabled people employed in Government Departments, in health authorities and in local authorities, respectively.

Mr. Jim Lester

The Manpower Services Commission is reviewing the provisions of the existing quota scheme to see how best to protect opportunities for disabled people in the future in all areas of employment, and I understand the commission hopes to be able to make recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State by the end of the year.

Meanwhile all employers are being encouraged to give full and fair consideration to disabled job seekers and to make full use of the potential of their disabled workers. My right hon. Friend was pleased to launch the MSC's "Fit for Work" campaign last September. The campaign, which covers employers in public and private sectors alike, encourages the adoption of enlightened policies on all aspects of the employment of disabled people in the interests of promoting equal employment opportunities. I expect employers in the public sector to set an example by implementing the policy guidelines featured in the campaign.

In addition, the Government will be drawing the attention of public-sector employers to the regulations, which we are about to introduce under the new Companies Act, requiring the publication in directors' reports of information on the employment of disabled people, and asking them to make similar arrangements for disclosure.

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what proportion of health authorities satisfied the 3 per cent. quota for employment of registered disabled people in England,

Number and proportion of local authorities which satisfied the 3 per cent, quota
1976 1977 1978 1979
England 98 88 79 52
(23.8%) (21.4%) (19.2%) (12.7%)
Wales 17 21 16 16
(37.8%) (46.7%) (35.6%) (35.6%)
Scotland 14 16 16 15
(21.5%) (24.6%) (24.6%) (23.1%)

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) registered and (b) unregistered disabled people are unemployed in the London borough of Haringey; and what proportion of (a) registered disabled people and (b) she work force as a whole is unemployed in the London borough of Haringey.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the available information relates to the areas served by the local employment offices at Tottenham and Wood Green whose boundaries include part of Enfield and Edmonton. At 8 May 1980, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 249 registered disabled people and 445 unregistered disabled people unemployed in those areas. The unemployment

1. AVERAGE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT
England per cent. Wales per cent. Scotland per cent. Great Britain per cent.
1976—
(a) RDPs 14.0 14.7 13.1 14.0
(b) Total work force 5.0 6.8 6.4 5.3

Wales and Scotland, respectively, in each of the last five years.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that no health authority satisfied the 3 per cent. quota in the years 1976 to 1979—the only previous years for which the information has been collected centrally. Figures for 1980 are not yet available.

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what proportion of local authorities satisfied the 3 per cent. quota for employment of registered disabled people in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively, in each of the last five years.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that the information requested was not collected centrally in years prior to 1976, and is not yet available for 1980. The information in respect of the years 1976 to 1979 is set out in the table below.

rate amongst registered disabled people was 11.1 per cent. and the unemployment rate amongst the work force as a whole was 4.7 per cent.

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the average rate of unemployment (a) among registered disabled people and (b) among the work force as a whole in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively, and in Great Britain as a whole in each of the last five years; and what are the latest figures for unemployment among each of these categories.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the information requested is set out below; figures are for May of each year.

1977—
(a) RDPs 14.0 14.3 13.2 13.9
(b) Total work force 5.2 7.1 7.3 5.6
1978—
(a) RDPs 14.2 13.2 13.5 14.1
(b) Total work force 5.3 8.0 7.6 5.7
1979—
(a) RDPs 12.9 12.3 12.3 12.8
(b) Total work force 4.9 7.5 7.3 5.2
1980—
(a) RDPs 13.0 12.1 12.5 12.9
(b) Total work force 5.7 8.8 8.7 6.1
2, Unemployment Figures (MAY 1980)
England Wales Scotland Great Britain
RDPs 51,471 3,601 5,480 60,552
Total work force 1,148,044 96,999 196,346 1,441,389