§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment what publicity has been given to the fact that the Employment Services Agency has power to help with the provision of special hearing aids when they are needed to enable a person to start or continue in employment.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerSpecial hearing aids are provided under the Employment Service Agency's special aids to employment scheme, whereby disabled people416W are issued, free of charge, on permanent loan, any aid that they need in order to obtain or keep paid employment. The scheme is operated by disablement resettlement officers, who always consider whether any individual client would benefit from it. Publicity is given to the scheme in most of the agency's leaflets relating to services for disabled people; these are issued to employers, doctors, disabled people themselves, and all those who work with disabled people. The scheme will also be fully described in a comprehensive reference book, "Employment Services for Disabled People", which should be published later this year, and it will be outlined in the code of practice for employers which the Manpower Services Commission and the National Advisory Council on Employment of Disabled People are preparing at present. The Department of Health and Social Security's leaflet "Help for Handicapped People" will include a reference to the scheme.