§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Lord President of the Council what arrangements currently exist for members of the public who are wheelchair users who wish to lobby hon. Members or attend the business of the House; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WakehamThe arrangements which exist within the Palace of Westminster for the assistance of wheelchair users are set out in the leaflet "Visits of Disabled Persons" obtainable from the Serjeant at Arms. I am arranging for a copy to be sent to the hon. Member. In the event of mass lobbies by disabled persons it is usual for special arrangements for the reception of wheelchair users to be made. These arrangements vary depending upon the size of the lobby.
264Wunemployed for less than six months, six months to one year, over one year, over two years, over three years, arid over five years in each year since 1979; and what are the latest estimates.
§ Mr. CopeDirect comparisons of unemployment by duration since 1979 are not possible because of changes in the method of compilation. The following is the available information. Table A shows the average number of unemployed registrants in the United Kingdom for each year from 1979 to 1982, who had been unemployed for the durations requested, except for those unemployed over five years, for which figures were not separately identified. Table B shows the average number of claimants who have been unemployed for all durations requested for each year from 1983 to 1987, and table C shows the numbers at 8 October 1987, the latest date for which figures are available.