§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in the Harlow area employ their full quota of registered disabled persons; and how many are granted exemptions.
§ Mr. Harold Walker28 firms in the Harlow area employ their quota of registered disabled people. There are no powers under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 to exempt employers from quota obligations.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered disabled persons are employed in the Harlow area; and how many are unemployed but seeking suitable vacancies.
§ Mr. Harold Walker860 disabled people in the area of Harlow employment office were registered under the Act at the annual count on 15th April 1974. Of these 73 were known to be unemployed. Most of the remainder were probably in employment but it is impossible to give a precise figure. On 8th July 1974, 59 registered disabled people were known to be unemployed.
§ Mr. Ovendenasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the number of registered disabled workers at
342WApril 1974 and the estimated population figure for mid-1973, the effects of the decisions announced yesterday are as follows:
present unemployed in each employment area in Kent and the number of places available in sheltered workshops in the county.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI refer my hon. Friend to the following table:
REGISTERED DISABLED WORKERS UNEMPLOYED IN EACH EMPLOYMENT AREA IN KENT ON 10TH JUNE 1974 Employment office area *Number of disabled people registered as unemployed Ashfored … … 74 Canterbury … … 65 Chatham … … 298 Cranbrook … … 16 Dartford … … 70 Deal … … 43 Dover … … 75 Faversham … … 26 Folkestone … … 96 Gravesend … … 113 Herne Bay … … 36 Hythe … … 22 Maidstone … … 101 Margate … … 64 New Romney … … 8 Ramsgate … … 76 Sandwich … … 13 Sevenoaks … … 4 Sheerness … … 53 Sittingbourne … … 43 Tonbridge … … 16 Tunbridge Wells … … 57 Westerham … … 7 Whitstable … … 23 * Includes both those who are able to work in open industry and those who are in need of sheltered employment. The number of places at present available in sheltered workshops in Kent is 74.
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§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Employment what attempts are being made to increase the number of registered disabled people in employment.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe resettlement services play a vital rôle in increasing the numbers of disabled people in employment. They have placed approximately 67,000 registered disabled people in jobs in the past 12 months. Plans have been drawn up, in consultation with the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Disabled People, for improving these services.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in the Walsall area have been granted exemption by his Department from fulfilling the 3 per cent. quota of disabled; and on what grounds these exemptions were granted.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerNo firms in the Walsall area have been granted exemption from quota obligations. There are no provisions in the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 for granting exemption. However, of the 157 firms in the Walsall area below quota, 99 had been issued with permits to engage able-bodied workers.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Employmnet if he will make a statement on the operation of the 3 per cent. quota of disabled persons; and whether any changes or contemplated.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerMy right hon. Friend is at present considering this matter in the light of the many comments received on the Department's consultative document on the quota scheme and the advice of his National Advisory Council on Employment of Disabled People. He is not yet in a position to say what changes, if any, we will make.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in the Walsall area are subject to a quota obligation for disabled employees; how many, respectively, comply and do not comply with this quota; what are these figures expressed in percentages; how these figures have varied since 1961; and how these figures compare with the national average.
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§ Mr. Harold WalkerAt the annual inquiry of employers in May 1974, 287 firms in the Walsall employment office area had a quota obligation; of these 130—or 45 per cent.—were employing their quota and 157, or 55 per cent., were not. Comparable national percentages were 40 per cent. and 60 per cent. respectively.
It is not possible to provide information immediately on variations in these figures locally since 1961 and I will write to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Employment what changes have taken place in the register of disabled in the Walsall area since 1951.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe numbers on the register of disabled people in the Walsall employment office area were as follows in the years shown: 1951, 2,103; 1961, 2,027; 1971, 2,217. At the last count in April this year the number was 2,145. If more detailed analysis is required, perhaps my hon. Friend will write to me.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those firms in the Walsall area which are not fulfilling their 3 per cent. disabled quota.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerNo.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has in relation to the 3 per cent. quota of disabled scheme to introduce a more stringent permit procedure, more rigorous inspection and more extensive prosecution of employers who have failed to comply with the statutory requirements, in accordance with his Department's recent consultative document.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe introduction of changes in the administration of the quota scheme with a view to enforcing it more strictly was one of a number of options which were put forward in my Department's consultative document and which are still under consideration.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people there are on the register of disabled in the Walsall area; what percentage of those estimated to be disabled are on the register; and what percentage of those on 345W the register are employed and unemployed, respectively.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerAt the annual count in April 1974 the number on the register of disabled people in the Walsall employment office area was 2,145. Of these 241–11.2 per cent. of the register—were unemployed. It is a reasonable assumption that the majority of the remainder were in employment but it is not possible to give a precise figure or a percentage. There was no change in numbers unemployed in July.
The Department's recent consultative document on the quota scheme suggested that it was probable that only about half of the disabled people in employment
Percentage changes from October 1973 to the following months in 1974 March April May June Retail Prices Index (RPI) … +6.1 +9.8 +11.3 +12.5 RPI excluding alcohol and tobacco … +6.6 +9.3 +10.7 +12.0 The only effect of excluding alcohol and tobacco would therefore have been to defer one triggering from May to June.