§ Mr. Alfred Morris asked the Secretary of State for Employment why there has been no announcement of a date for the introduction of the Manpower Services Commission's projected reader allowance for blind workers; what has been the reason for the delay; and when the allowance is to be introduced.
§ Mr. Alison:The Manpower Services Commission's document "Developing Employment and Training Services for Disabled People", published in 1978, proposed new forms of help to meet the reading needs of blind workers. That document indicated that a scheme might be introduced in the early 1980s, if resources were available.
The Manpower Services Commission has had discussions with the Royal National Institute for the Blind about a scheme of this kind. It is unlikely to be possible to introduce a scheme in this financial year, but the commission will be considering whether a scheme can be introduced in the course of next financial year.