§ 49. Mr. Millanasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many blind or partially-sighted persons are employed in sheltered workshops in Scotland; what were the comparable figures five and 10 years ago; and what proposals he has for increasing employment opportunities for the blind in Scotland.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithAt 31st March, 1972, 483 blind and partially sighted persons were employed in sheltered workshops in Scotland. Comparable figures for 1967 and 1962 were 622 and 736 respectively.
Steps being taken to increase employment opportunities for blind people in Scotland are as follows:
Grants are being paid by my Department towards the cost of two new factories being built by the Edinburgh Corporation (work almost completed) and the Aberdeen Royal Workshops for the Blind (in course of erection) to replace existing workshops housed in old buildings. The Edinburgh factory will provide 100 extra jobs for blind and other severely disabled people and the Aberdeen factory will provide an extra 20 places.The Department's resettlement services for the blind have recently been strengthened by the appointment of additional Blind Persons Training Officers to assist in finding new employment opportunities for blind people.Blind people in Scotland will also benefit from the research project which the Department has commissioned the Production Engineering Research Association to undertake to identify machine tools and manufacturing processes which may be adapted for operation by blind people, with a view to widening the employment opportunities for them.
§ Mr. Gwynoro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many blind people are working in workshops for the blind and in open industry, respectively, in Wales; and what were the figures for 1964, 1968 and 1971.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithOn 31st March, 1972—the most recent date for which figures are available—151 blind people were employed in workshops for the blind 289W and 292 were working in open industry in Wales.
The corresponding fiures for previous years were:
- 1964–212 and 263.
- 1968–187 and 272.
- 1971–153 and 274.
§ Mr. Gwynoro Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many blind people are employed within Government Departments; and what are the figures for each Department, separately.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithDetailed information about the number of blind people employed in Government Departments, separately and in total, is not readily available. It is, however, known that the total exceeds 350.