§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to complete his Department's review of services for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardThe review of the Employment Department's employment and training services for people with disabilities has now been completed, and we have today published a consultative document, "Employment and Training for People with Disabilities".
The 1980s saw new approaches to promoting good practice to employers, to developing assessment, counselling, training and rehabilitation for people with disabilities, and to help for people with severe disabilities. In the document we examine how the resources available can be used to full effect in the 1990s, taking account of the major research report "Employment and Handicap" which is also published today and provides a better picture of the position of people with disabilities in the labour market.
In the document plans are announced:
— To make more effective the help offered to clients with disabilities in our non-specialist programmes and to improve the management and training of our specialist services;— To improve the effectiveness of our assessment and rehabilitation services;— To strengthen the promotion of good practice to employers.Comments are invited on:— What contributions to delivering services the voluntary sector and private sector organisations might make;— Proposals to rebalance help to people with severe disabilities, over time, towards placements with employers;358W— The current quota scheme, and other possible forms of legislation;— The shape of advisory machinery to my Department.I will reach decisions after careful consideration of the responses received during the consultative period, which ends on 31 December.