§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will 387W establish a small unit within his Department to specialise in the employment of severely handicapped people; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will establish on computer records the experience of methods of employing severely handicapped persons; if he will make such information freely available to disablement resettlement officers in the field; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John GrantI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the Employment Service Agency is at present giving special consideration to the range and type of services needed to help severely disabled people both in open and sheltered employment. The points made by my hon. Friend are, therefore, raised at an appropriate time. The technical and specialist advice and support available to the DRO service is being reviewed and a small unit of the kind mentioned by my hon. Friend will be carefully considered. The recording and dissemination of information about the effective employment of severely disabled people is already recognised as important and is given special attention through the training of and guidance to disablement resettlement officers. Attention is already being given to improving these arrangements and the points made by my hon. Friend will be considered.