§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to raise the number of disabled persons employed in Government undertakings to at least the 1970 percentage rate.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9th August, 1972 by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Civil Service in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Handsworth (Mr. Sydney Chapman).—[Vol. 842, c. 1726–27.]
§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in the Inner London area, borough by borough, at present fail to satisfy their quota obligations under the Disablement Register Acts.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithThis information is tabulated below:
Borough No. of Firms not Satisfying Quota Camden 299 City of London 1,236 Greenwich 99 Hackney 302 Hammersmith 242 Islington 859 Lambeth 92 Lewisham 54 Southwark 301 Tower Hamlets 180 Wandsworth 207 Westminster 1,710
§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to increase the number of undertakings, other than Government, with 20 or more employees, who at pre- 416W sent are satisfying their quota obligations under the Disablement Register Acts.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithLast year we introduced a system whereby the records which all employers of 20 or more employees are required to keep under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944 are inspected annually on a sample basis. This is expected, among other things, to remind employers more seriously of their quota obligations. However, it is too soon to judge whether the inspections are having the hoped for effect and I feel that it would be premature to consider the need for further steps to improve compliance before the new measure has been allowed time to take effect.