HC Deb 23 July 1984 vol 64 cc503-4W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, for each year since 1979, how much has been spent on the employment services for the disabled; and what has been the annual increase in real terms.

Mr. Alan Clark

[pursuant to his reply, 19 July 1984, c. 225–6]: The cost of employment programmes provided by the Manpower Services Commission specifically for disabled people was as follows:

£ million
1979–80 64
1980–81 85
1981–82 89
*1982–83 106
align="right"1983–84 107
* The basis of calculation changed between 1981–82 and 1982–83 and as a result the figures are not directly comparable.

The figures do not include estimates of the money spent under the commission's general employment programmes in helping disabled people. With the re-organisation of the disablement resettlement service in 1983–84, more of the work of placing disabled people into employment has been taken on by the general employment service.