HC Deb 24 November 1971 vol 826 cc404-5W
Mr. Bishop

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundant workers there are over 50 years of age in the Nottinghamshire area; and what action he proposes to retrain and provide them with alternative work.

Mr. Dudley Smith

I regret that there is no age analysis of redundant workers. It may, however, help the hon. Member to know that at 12th July, 1971, the latest date for which an age analysis is available, there were 6,465 males and 463 females over the age of 50 registered for work in local offices whose areas are wholly or partly within the County of Nottingham. Our local officers will continue to do everything possible to help these workers obtain alternative employment and to inform them of training and retraining facilities as appropriate.

Mr. Bishop

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered disabled persons and persons requiring sheltered employment there are in Nottinghamshire; how many are unemployed; and what action he proposes to reduce the number.

Mr. Dudley Smith

On 5th April, 1971, there were 13,230 on the disabled persons register. On 11th October, 1,764 registered disabled persons were registered as unemployed, and of these 191 were considered unlikely to obtain work except under sheltered conditions.

As to action to reduce the number of unemployed disabled persons, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Farr) on 25th March. I hope that the measures we have taken will lead to a reduction in the number of unemployed disabled people in Nottinghamshire as well as in the rest of the country.

For people who are too severely disabled to undertake ordinary employment there are already two Remploy factories and three sheltered workshops in the county; a fourth workshop, due to be built by the local authority at West Bridgford in 1974–75, will meet the foreseeable future need for additional places.