§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disabled people seeking work are now unemployed in the North-West Region and the City of Manchester, respectively; how these figures compare with those for Great Britain and England and Wales; if he will also give the figures in percentage terms; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithOn 13th March, 14,495 registered disabled people or 16.3 per cent. of those registered under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act were unemployed in the North-West Region, and 2.606 or 15.3 per cent. were unemployed in Manchester. Comparable figures for Great Britain are 92,781–14.9 per cent. and for England and Wales, 81,664–14.6 per cent.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to improve employment opportunities for disabled people in the North-West Region and the City of Manchester, respectively.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithA substantial improvement in employment opportunities for disabled people depends upon an upturn in the employment situation generally. The measures we have already taken to expand the economy and to create more employment opportunities in the assisted areas should help disabled people in Manchester and the North-Western Region as elsewhere. Meanwhile my Department's officials are making every effort to find suitable jobs for them.