HC Deb 17 April 1967 vol 745 cc17-8W
Dr. Winstanley

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the total number of persons on the disabled person's register and the number of registered disabled persons unemployed on the most recent convenient date and on the corresponding date last year, respectively.

Mr. Fernyhough

At 18th April 1966, there were in Great Britain 654,483 persons registered under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts, 1944 and 1948. The register is counted in April each year and the figure for April 1967 is not yet available.

The numbers of registered disabled persons registered as unemployed at 13th March 1967 and 14th March 1966 distinguishing between Section I (suitable for ordinary employment) and Section II (unlikely to obtain employment other than special conditions) were:

Section I Section II Total
13th March, 1967 50,863 7,637 58,500
14th March, 1966 39,815 6,736 46,551
that is an increase of 25.7 per cent. as compared with an increase of 81.1 per cent. in the total unemployed register over the same period.