§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many deaf-blind people are supported in employment through the placement advisory council team scheme. [9474]
§ Mr. ForthResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Alfred Morris, dated 16 January 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about "the number of deaf-blind people who are supported in employment through the Placement Advisory Council Team Scheme". This is something which falls within the responsibilities delated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.The Employment Service, through is local Placing, Assessment and Counselling Teams (PACTs) provides a wide range of specialist services for people with health problems and disabilities through its network of Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs), who are mostly based in Jobcentres.The Employment Service does not however hold figures for placements of people into work broken down into types of disability, and thus figures are not available specifically relating to deaf/blind people.The Employment Services does, however, record the total numbers of people with disabilities placed into jobs by its PACTs. The PACT placings for the period April 1995 to March 1996 total 17,474. The latest figures available are for April to October 1996 during which period 11,961 disabled people were placed into employment by PACTs.I hope this has been helpful.