§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the total number of permits granted to the 21,021 firms who applied to engage non-disabled people when these firms were employing less than their quota of 3 per cent. disabled between 1st June 1967 and 1st June 1968.
§ Mr. FernyhoughI regret that this information is not readily available.
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§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what criteria were used to allocate permits to firms applying to use non-disabled people while employing less than their quota of 3 per cent disabled; and what steps were taken to check that disabled people were unable to carry out any one of the tasks involved.
§ Mr. FernyhoughPermits are issued to firms seeking to engage able-bodied people for immediate vacancies while employing less than their quota of 3 per cent. disabled, only when the disablement resettlement officer is satisfied that suitable registered disabled people are not available. Permits to cover estimated engagements for a period may be issued to such employers where the following additional conditions are satisfied: that suitable registered disabled people are unlikely to be available during the period of the permit and that the employer agrees to notify all vacancies and consider sympathetically the engagement of any suitable registered disabled people who may become available and do everything possible to improve the firm's quota position.
Before the issue of both types of permit, other local offices and the appropriate trade union branches are consulted as necessary. The advice of a technical officer may be sought when there is doubt about the suitability of a particular vacancy for a disabled person.