§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give, for each of the last 10 years, the number of firms employing over 20 people which do not employ any new workers, and the number of firms that were prosecuted for not complying with the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithI regret that the information requested in the first part of the question is not available. In the last 10 years, one employer has been prosecuted for not complying with the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944. This case was heard on 31st December, 1964.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the figures for the last 10 years for the cost of the employment services provided by his Department for disabled persons, and the number of placings of disabled workers in open industry and sheltered industry, respectively.
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§ Mr. Dudley SmithThe estimated cost to my Department of the employment services provided for disabled persons for the last 10 financial years was:
£ million 1962–63 … … … 8.7 1963–64 … … … 9.5 1964–65 … … … 10.1 1965–66 … … … 10.5 1966–67 … … … 11.8 1967–68 … … … 12.3 1968–69 … … … 12.7 1969–70 … … … 13.5 1970–71 … … … 15.3 1971–72 … … … 17.8 The numbers of placings of disabled workers in open industry and sheltered industry respectively were:
In open industry In sheltered industry 11th January, 1962–9th January,1963 63,530 1,343 10th January, 1963–8th January, 1964 66,957 1,145 9th January, 1964–6th January, 1965 79,374 1,810 7th January, 1965–5th January, 1966 78,355 1,655 6th January, 1966–4th January, 1967 69,706 1,520 5th January, 1967–3rd January, 1968 63,615 2,085 4th January, 1968–8th January, 1969 70,713 2,136 9th January, 1969–7th January, 1970 68,010 1,893 8th January, 1970–6th January, 1971 45,883 1,573 7th January, 1971–5th January, 1972 58,401 1,574
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give for each of the last 10 years the numbers of full-time and part-time disablement resettlement officers, respectively.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithComparable figures are not available in the form requested and could not be produced without an unjustifiable expenditure of staff time. In each of the eight years preceding 1970 approximately 300 officers were engaged full time on resettlement of the disabled and approximately 850 part time. Following a re-organisation of the Disablement Resettlement Officer Service, the number of full-time DROs was increased to about 450 in 1970 and to about 460 in 1971 and the number of part-time DROs in the respective years was 75 and 80.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment which individuals and 123W organisations were invited to present evidence to assist his Department in making its review of the employment policies and services for disabled people; if he will publish the review; with which individuals and organisations he intends to discuss it; and if he will invite comments from all all interested individuals and organisations.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithThe review to which the hon. Member refers was an internal preparatory study carried out after consultation with the National Advisory Council on the Employment of the Disabled. It would not have been appropriate for outside bodies to be asked to give evidence for a study of this kind, nor is it intended to publish a report. I shall, however, as soon as possible be consulting the Advisory Council and the other bodies concerned on whether any changes are necessary in the Department's policies and services for disabled people. The precise scope of this consultation has not yet been decided.