HC Deb 28 October 1985 vol 84 cc329-30W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Paymaster General how many disabled persons were included in the latest unemployment figures.

Mr. Alan Clark

According to the 1984 labour force survey, approximately 16 per cent. of claimants included in the unemployment count had health problems or disabilities that would limit the kind of work they could do.

Mr. Stan Thorne

asked the Paymaster General what consideration is being given to the disabled with emphasis on the mentally ill and mentally handicapped within the Government's new provisions for the unemployed.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Disabled people, including those who are mentally ill and mentally handicapped, benefit from the full range of employment and training services which are available to able-bodied people. This applies to both new and existing provision. In many of these programmes, relaxed eligibility conditions are applicable to disabled participants.

Mr. Stan Thorne

asked the Paymaster General if there are any plans for research into more effective ways of providing vocational rehabilitation services for the disabled.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The Manpower Services Commission administers an employment rehabilitation programme for disabled people. There is a continuous programme of evaluating existing practices and developing new initiatives to improve the effectiveness of the service.