§ Mr. Merlyn Reesasked the Secretary of State for Employment what the yardstick is for registration as a blind person fit for employment in open industry; and how many registered blind persons in the City of Leeds are certified as suitable for open industry.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithAll disabled people, including the blind, are considered for employment in open industry, commerce or in the professions, and rehabilitation and training facilities are available as necessary. In deciding whether some people are unlikely to be able to work satisfactorily except under special conditions, account has to be taken of each person's residual capacity, general health, past employment record and aptitude for training.
About 80 registered blind people are employed in ordinary employment in the City of Leeds. Of the 15 blind people who are registered as unemployed at local offices of my Department, 12 are considered suitable for open employment.
246Wand a relatively small part of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne employment exchange area. Unemployment statistics are available only for the whole of an employment exchange area and the following tables hows the information available for Newburn-on-Tyne and Elswick. The figures for Elswick relate only to men aged 18 years and over. Women and young persons from this area register at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Employment Exchange and the Newcastle-upon-Tyne (County Borough) Careers Office, respectively.