§ Mr. Raceasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state for registered disabled persons (a) the number of unemployed in the latest month for which figures are available, and the proportion of the total number of registered disabled persons which this represents, (b) the number and proportion unemployed a year previously, (c) the percentage change in the number unemployed and in the total number of registered disabled persons between these two dates and (d) the equivalent figures for unregistered disabled persons and the working population as a whole.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 11 February 1981, c. 355]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that:
- (a) on 11 December 1980, the latest date for which national figures are available there were 68,660 registered disabled people unemployed, representing 14.6 per cent, of all registered disabled people;
- (b) the corresponding figures for 6 December 1979 were 59,623 and 12.4 per cent, respectively;
- (c) the percentage changes between these dates are a 15.1 per cent, increase in the number of registered disabled people unemployed and a 2.4 per cent, fall in the number of people registered as disabled;
- (d) there were 96,964 unregistered disabled people unemployed on 11 December 1980 compared with 74,046 unemployed on 6 December 1979, representing a 30.9 per cent, increase. It is not possible to show this figure as a proportion of all unregistered disabled people as the number of such people is not known. There were 2,150,477 people unemployed in the total working population on 11 December 1980 giving an unemployment rate of 9.1 per cent. Figures for 6 December 1979 were 1,292,040 and 5.5 per cent. respectively. Total unemployment increased by 66.4 per cent, in this period.