§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the statutory provisions and regulations in force to promote or ensure the employment of disabled people; what is the percentage required for disabled employment in both public and private industry; and to what extent this is being met, industry by industry, and region by region.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe statutory provisions and regulations for which my right hon. Friend is directly responsible and whose primary purpose is to promote or ensure the employment of disabled people are shown in the following tables.
The standard percentage of disabled employees required by the quota regulations in force is 3 per cent.
226WIn 1980 the average level of fulfilment in the public sector was 1.2 per cent., and 1.7 per cent, in the private sector.
Figures are not available industry by industry and figures region by region could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
However, at 1 June 1981 figures for the Manpower Services Commission's Employment Services Division's Areas were as follows:
ESD Area Average level of quota fulfilment per cent. London North West 1.2 London North East 0.9 London South 1.1 Southern 1.3 Eastern 1.3 South West 1.5 Manchester 1.7 Merseyside 1.7 Wales 1.8 West Midlands 1.7 East Midlands 1.5 East Pennine 1.5 North East 1.4 Scotland West 1.2 Scotland East and North 1.3 ACTS
Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944:
An Act to make further and better provision for persons handicapped by disablement to secure employment, or work on their own account, and for purposes connected therewith.
Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1958:
An Act to amend the law relating to disabled persons as regards the minimum age for attendance at certain courses under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944 as regards registration under that Act and as regards the provision by local authorities of employment, or other work under sheltered conditions.
Statutory Rules and Orders
1944 No. 936:
The Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 (Commencement) Order, 1944.
1945 No. 615:
The Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 (Commencement) Order 1945.
1945 No. 938:
The Disabled Persons (Registration) Regulations, 1945.
1945 No. 939:
The Disabled Persons (District Advisory Committees and Panels) (Procedure) Regulations, 1945.
1945 No. 940:
The Disabled Persons (non-British Subjects) Regulations, 1945.
1945 No. 1471:
The Disabled Persons (District Advisory Committees and Panels) (Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations, 1945.
1945 No. 1558:
The Disabled Persons (General) Regulations, 1945.
1946 No. 236:
The Disabled Persons (Special Percentage) (No. 1) Order, 1946.
1946 No. 262:
The Disabled Persons (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations, 1946.
1946 No. 1256:
The Disabled Persons (General) (Amendment) Regulations. 1946.
1946 No. 1257:
The Disabled Persons (Designated Employments) Order 1946.
1946 No. 1258:
The Disabled Persons (Standard Percentage) Order, 1946.
Statutory Instruments
1959 No. 1510:
The Disabled Persons (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations, 1959.
227W1960 No. 1380:
The Disabled Persons (Reciprocal Arrangements) Order, 1960.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 4 June, Official Report, column 389, if he has yet received the recommendations of the Manpower Services Commission on the future of the quota scheme for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Prior[pursuant to the reply, 17 July 1981]: The Manpower Services Commission has published today the report that it has submitted to me on the results of its review of the quota scheme. Copies are available in the Library.
The report follows extensive consultation by the commission over the last two years on the difficult issue of what kind of special statutory provision, if any, is appropriate in today's circumstances to promote the employment of disabled people.
The commission's report reviews a number of possible approaches, including variants of the existing quota scheme. It recommends replacing the present scheme with a statutory duty on employers in respect of the recruitment, retention and career development of disabled people linked to a code of good practice on this subject. It suggests that this would not only end the artificial distinction between those disabled people who are registered as disabled and those who are not, but would significantly extend the protection afforded to disabled people and would provide a better basis for the development of positive and effective policies to promote their employment.
The Government are firmly committed to doing all that they can to maintain and enhance the welfare of disabled people. The commission's proposals contain a number of fresh ideas and would represent a significant change of approach, as compared with existing arrangements. The Government will therefore give interested organisations and individuals until the end of the year to comment on the commission's proposals, before coming to any decisions.
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average duration of unemployment for registered disabled (a) young people (b) women (c) men and (d) as a whole compared to the same groups among the general unemployed for the latest available date and for each year since 1976.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1981, c. 75]: It is not possible to calculate a true average duration of unemployment from the statistics available.
However, the comparative proportions of registered disabled and all unemployed people who have been unemployed for more than one year, as at October 1980 and for each year since 1976, are as follows:
228W
Proportion of registered disabled people who have been unemployed for more than one year Young People per cent. Women per cent. Men per cent. Total per cent. October 1980 11.0 47.3 51.5 50.1 1979 16.5 53.8 60.7 58.8 1978 17.2 51.8 57.9 56.3 1977 16.1 43.1 51.9 50.5 1976 10.4 42.1 46.4 45.3
Proportion of the general unemployed for more than one year Young People per cent. Women per cent. Men per cent. Total per cent. October 1980 4.4 17.8 25.4 19.2 1979 6.5 21.6 34.0 25.9 1978 7.1 19.9 31.9 24.4 1977 *— 13.9 25.7 22.3 1976 *— 10.6 23.4 20.0 * Separate figures for young people are not available for 1976 or 1977.
§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in view of the fact that all the major disablement organisations support retention of the disablement quota system, he will abandon proposals to abolish the quota.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1981, c. 75]: The Manpower Services Commission's report on the quota scheme followed extensive consultations with interested organisations. As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) today, the commission's proposals to replace the present scheme with a statutory duty on employers linked to a code of good practice represent a significant change of approach and we are giving interested organisations and individuals until the end of the year to comment before coming to any decisions.