HC Deb 24 July 1973 vol 860 cc347-8W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the three job centres recently opened are accessible to all categories of disabled person and conform with the provisions laid down in Section 4 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970; and whether he has taken steps to ensure that the 40 job centres planned during the current financial year and all future job centres will be accessible to and convenient for the use of all disabled people seeking work and will conform with the provisions of Section 4 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

Mr. Dudley Smith

All three recently-opened job centres have means of access which enable disabled people of all categories to enter the building.

In most of the 40 job centres planned to open during the current financial year, entrance facilities will be such as to permit easy access by all categories of disabled people. In the few cases where circumstances make these impracticable other arrangements such as a bell or telephone to summon attention will be provided.

When planning all new job centres regard is had for the requirements of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

Mr. David Steel

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the numbers of unemployed who were disabled in each year since 1948; and if he will express this as a percentage of the total number of unemployed for each of the years.

Mr. Dudley Smith

The information required is given in the table below. The latest available figures are for June 1973 and the figures quoted for previous years are those for June also.

Year Numbers of unemployed registered disabled people Unemployed registered disabled people as a percentage of all unemployed people
1948 69,645 25.3
1949 63,577 23.8
1950 60,799 27.8
1951 44,522 23.4
1952 52,169 17.2
1953 46,338 16.4
1954 43,157 18.7
1955 36,406 19.7
1956 37,728 19.5
1957 43,510 17.4
1958 50,688 13.6
1959 55,079 14.1
1960 48,505 16.1
1961 43,137 16.6
1962 50,370 13.3
1963 58,307 12.5
1964 50,473 15.6
1965 44,175 16.0
1966 42,467 16.3
1967 56,824 12.0
1968 64,323 12.5
1969 65,773 13.3
1970 69,956 13.1
1971 80,590 11.5
1972 85,932 11.0
1973 71,001 12.7