40. Mr. Alan Williamsasked the Minister of Labour if he will seek to impose a levy on those firms which fail to employ their full quota of disabled workers.
§ Mr. GunterNo. Many firms do not fulfil their quota obligations because of circumstances over which they have no control. The availability of registered disabled people having the necessary skills and experience the job requires, the suitability of the jobvis-à-vis individual disability and working potential, mobility of the individual disabled person, are all relevant factors.
Mr. Alan Williamsasked the Minister of Labour if he will seek to publish in the local Press the names of those firms which
Number of workpeople employed in firms with a quota obligation Number of registered D.Ps employed in the same firms Average percentage counting towards quota Total number of registered D.Ps required to satisfy a 3 per cent. obligation Number of additional registered D.Ps required to give an average level of compliance of 3 per cent. (Col. 4-Col. 2) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Great Britain … 14,906,975 410,423 2.75 447,210 36,787 Wales … … 390,510 12,836 3.3 11,715 Already exceeds 3 per cent. Swansea … … 26,493 762 2.9 795 33
Mr. Alan Williamsasked the Minister of Labour how many firms in each Welsh county borough are failing to employ their full quota of disabled workers.
§ Mr. GunterThe information requested is not readily available. The following table shows the latest available information (as at 1st July, 1964) in respect of the employment exchange areas in which the Welsh county boroughs are situated:
Employment Exchange areas Number of firms failing to satisfy 3 per cent. quota Cardiff 167 Newport 72 Swansea 63 Merthyr Tydfil 7
Mr. Alan Williamsasked the Minister of Labour how many firms in Great Britain are failing to employ their full quota of disabled workers.
§ Mr. GunterAn inquiry undertaken as at 1st July, 1964, revealed that of 64,760
4Wfail to employ their quota of disabled workers.
§ Mr. GunterNo. I regard information which comes into the possession of my Department about individual firms as confidential. Moreover, I am not satisfied that publication of the information the Member has in mind would be either equitable or in the public interest.
Mr. Alan Williamsasked the Minister of Labour how many more jobs would be created for disabled workers in Great Britain, in Wales and in Swansea if those firms which do not at present employ their full quota of disabled workers were to fulfil their quota obligations.
§ Mr. GunterThe following table, which has been compiled from the results of the inquiry undertaken as at 1st July, 1964, gives the required information:
firms in Great Britain to which the quota provisions applied, 29,271 were failing to satisfy the 3 per cent. quota obligation imposed by the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944.