HL Deb 06 December 1990 vol 524 cc20-2WA
Lord Renwick

asked her Majesty's Government:

What advantage they anticipate in the proposal to separate the procedures of assessment and rehabilitation in non-residential employment rehabilitation.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Employment (Viscount Ullswater)

Assessment and rehabilitation procedures in employment rehabilitation have been developed over recent years, and the consultative document,Employment and Training for People with Disabilities, seeks views on the Government's plans for further developments in this area.

The introduction of a specific initial assessment procedure, distinct from employment rehabilitation has enabled the needs of clients to be more readily identified and has allowed assessment to be delivered in many more locations than in the 31 non-residential centres. It has also made it possible to give assessment and vocational guidance nationally.

Lord Renwick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What evidence they have collected of the efficacy of employment rehabilitation by non-governmental agencies.

Viscount Ullswater

Monitoring visits by staff of the Employment Department confirm that employment rehabilitation currently provided on our behalf by non-governmental bodies is generally of a satisfactory standard. Comprehensive systems to further the assessment of efficacy are being put into place.

Lord Renwick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the organisations currently providing rehabilitation in support of employment rehabilitation centres and specify the nature of support that those organisations are giving; and

Whether they will give the most recent date in respect of each residential employment rehabilitation centre on which an item of industrial equipment costing over £1,000 was purchased; and

Whether they will give an estimate of the average age of the workshop equipment in use at each of the residential employment rehabilitation centres.

Viscount Ullswater

Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service Executive Agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred these questions for reply.