HC Deb 12 November 1979 vol 973 cc484-97W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what action the Manpower Services Commission has taken in increasing rehabilitation, retraining and resettlement facilities for disabled people; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if there has been an increase or decrease in the amount of public money, in real terms, available for the employment of disabled people; and if he wilt make a statement.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that additional facilities for disabled people have been provided as followsRehabilitation—In March this year a new residential employment rehabilitation centre—ERC—was opened at Preston. Work will shortly begin on the rebuilding of the other major residential ERC at Egham. The diversification of courses at ERCs has continued. Training—During the first six months of the 1979–80 financial year, 2,866 disabled people completed training compared with 2,642 in the corresponding period for 1978–79.

Mr. Trotter

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places for disabled persons are available under sheltered workshop conditions in each region of the country; if he will compare these numbers with the number of unemployed

NUMBERS OF SEVERELY DISABLED PEOPLE IN SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT IN GREAT BRITAIN ANALYSED BY ESD AREAS—1970 TO 1979
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
South-West 450 483 537 559 544
Western 740 745 765 814 799
Wales 1,452 1,454 1,462 1,553 1,707
North-West 1,963 1,976 1,946 2,021 2,029
Scotland—West 808 801 775 752 777
Scotland—East and North 951 963 939 997 997
North-East 1,027 1,074 1,170 1,205 1,256
East Pennine 1,454 1,470 1,484 1,545 1,546
East Midlands 577 614 596 614 617
West Midlands 1,015 1,032 1,008 1,042 1,019
Eastern 350 348 335 412 378
London 1,514 1,492 1,455 1,420 1,403
South-East 131 136 146 163 161
Southern 337 379 370 351 342
TOTALS 12,769 12,967 12,988 13,448 13,575
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
South-West 518 530 517 514 544
Western 826 796 761 795 795
Wales 1,754 1,843 1,750 1,700 1,823
North-West 2,002 1,998 1,900 1,903 1,971
Scotland-West 805 805 790 769 837
Scotland-East and North 1,005 1,020 995 992 1,015
North-East 1,260 1,329 1,243 1,185 1,274
East Pennine 1,570 1,587 1,556 1,538 1,584
East Midlands 597 604 581 594 612
West Midlands 1,055 1,063 1,016 1,036 1,025
Eastern 375 373 418 431 491
London 1,354 1,307 1,291 1,260 1,316
South-East 154 159 193 208 223
Southern 322 341 334 386 389
TOTALS 13,597 13,755 13,345 13,311 13,899
Notes:
(1) This table gives the numbers in sheltered employment in the present ESD areas. The areas were reorganised in 1975 and 1977.
(2) The ESD western area includes part of the Department of Employment South Western and West Midlands Regions.

disabled in each region; and to what extent these figures have changed over the past 10 years.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that figures are not available by region to show the number of places in sheltered employment for severely disabled people. Figures are, however, available of the number of people in sheltered employment and these are given for the last 10 years for areas of the employment service division of the Manpower Services Commission. Figures of the number of severely disabled people registered as unemployed, and eligible for consideration for sheltered employment, are not available for the same areas, only for regions of the Department of Employment. These are attached:

NUMBERS OF REGISTERED SEVERELY DISABLED UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE IN GREAT BRITAIN ANALYSED BY DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT REGIONS—1970 TO 1979
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
South-West 1,087 1,272 1,764 1,532 1,344
Wales 1,726 1,775 1,810 1,070 1,560
North-West 1,160 1,278 1,427 1,371 1,209
Scotland 1,071 1,094 1,198 1,096 887
Northern 1,077 1,097 1,167 1,027 935
Yorkshire and Humberside 873 1,029 1,212 1,301 1,258
Midlands 1,229 1,415 1,589 1,630 1,525
Eastern and Southern 840 916 1,054 1,035 1,039
London and South Eastern 1,105 1,205 1,481 1,287 1,232
TOTALS 10,168 11,081 12,702 12,049 10,989
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
South-West 1,335 1,625 1,648 1,435 1,185
Wales 1,510 1,495 1,300 1,136 973
North-West 1,178 1,193 1,184 1,103 1,009
Scotland 837 827 816 779 758
Northern 916 1,019 939 819 644
Yorkshire and Humberside 1,231 1,296 1,213 1,072 855
East Midlands 691 662 660 588 463
West Midlands 863 986 956 915 762
Eastern 300 353 388 423 323
South-Eastern 2,023 2,178 2,321 2,097 1,737
TOTALS 10,884 11,634 11,425 10,367 8,709
Notes:
(1) It is not possible to give the figures by ESD area.
(2) Department of Employment regions were reorganised in 1975.
(3) The present South-Eastern region includes London.

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will update the answer given to the former hon. Member for Kingswood, Official Report, 13 July 1978, c. 709–12, on quota figures for the disabled.

Mr. Jim Lester

No. I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that the figures in theOfficial Report for 13 July 1978, which illustrated the difficulties faced by a selection of employers who could be regarded as "opinion formers" when trying to satisfy the 3 per cent. quota, were published exceptionally and only after obtaining the agreement of the employers concerned, since quota figures are regarded as confidential.

As quota figures do not reflect the true position of disabled people in employment the quota scheme is currently under review, and as the original exercise fulfilled its limited purpose, an up-dating

Year ending 31 March Amount authorised Allocation Number of firms to whom grants have been authorised Number of disable people gaining employment
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
£ £
1977–78 11,040 500,000 26 9
1978–79 39,196 300,000 48 15
1979–80 (to date) 50,090 330,000 53 15
Note: The differences between the figures in columns (4) and (5) are due to the fact that some adaptations were made for the benefit of existing employees as opposed to new recruits.

exercise is not now considered to be justified.

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how much of the £½ million allocated in 1977 for altering work premises so as to give access to disabled workers has been claimed in that year and each subsequent year; whether this allocation has been increased; and it he will also classify these data according to the number of firms claiming help each year and the number of disabled persons gaining employment.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 256–57]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that grants made to employers for adaptations to their premises or equipment to enable them to take on or retain in employment a disabled worker are as follows:

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of workers who could be classified as disabled under the 1944 Act; and if he will list the numbers currently registered.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 256–57]: I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that it is not possible to know with any precision the number of disabled workers who could be classified as disabled under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944. However, a very rough estimate is some 1.2 million. Within this estimate, there were 482,006 names in the disabled persons register in April 1979, the latest date for which information is available.

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will classify the numbers of registered disabled workers by each of the major industrial classifications; and if he will also list the numbers of unemployed registered disabled according to the same criteria along with the general level of employment in each of these industries.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 256–57]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that information on the numbers of registered disabled people by industrial classifications is not available. No comparison with the general level of employment within industries can therefore be made.

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will classify the number of registered disabled workers who are in (a) open employment and (b) sheltered employment; and if the unemployment data for registered disabled workers could be similarly classified.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 256–57]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that there is no information available to show the precise number of registered disabled workers in open employment.

The number of registered disabled workers in sheltered employment on 31 March 1979, the latest date for which figures are available, is 13,899.

The unemployment data for registered disabled people in October 1979, the latest date for which figures are available, is as follows:

  1. (i) number registered for open employment—50,735.
  2. (ii) number registered for sheltered employment—8,173.

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number and the percentage of firms (a) given exemption and (b) without exemption from employing registered disabled persons for each year since the scheme's inception.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 256–57]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission—MSC—that the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 requires all employers of 20 or more workers to employ a quota—at present 3 per cent.—of registered disabled workers. It is not an offence to be below quota, but an employer who is in this situation must not engage anyone other than a registered disabled person without first obtaining a permit to do so from the MSC's local disablement resettlement officer. The issue of a permit does not exempt an employer from the requirement to employ his quota of registered disabled people. Statistical information about the numbers of below quota firms who had been issued with permits, and those who had not, is available only from 1964 onwards and is as follows:

Year Number and percentage of firms below quota issued with permits in the previous 12 months Number and percentage of firms below quota not issued with permits in the previous 12 months
(1) (2)
1964 15,479 (23.9) 13,792 (21.3)
1965 18,510 (27.9) 12,528 (18.9)
1966 19,662 (30.0) 11,999 (16.3)
1967 21,228 (32.5) 12,948 (19.8)
1968 21,021 (32.9) 13,298 (20.8)
1969 20,647 (32.6) 14,455 (22.9)
1970 22,150 (34.9) 14,246 (22.4)
1971 21,534 (34.4) 14,848 (23.7)
1972 25,875 (43.0) 8,919 (14.3)
1973 25,554 (44.2) 8,225 (14.2)
1974 23,030 (41.8) 10,076 (18.2)
1975 21,611 (40.7) 10,729 (20.2)
1976 21,358(42.1) 9,707(19.2)
1977 21,703 (43.0) 10,060 (19.8)
1978 21,785 (45.2) 8,661 (18.0)
1979 22,412 (46.4) 8,822 (18.3)

Firms who were below quota, and who had not been issued with permits, were not necessarily breaking the law unless they had engaged workers who were not registered as disabled.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he has taken to inform employers of the requirements of the Acts which impose obligations on them regarding the employment of disabled people.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 257]:

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that action to make employers aware of their obligations under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts 1944 and 1958 includes advisory visits by the MSC's local managers and disablement resettlement officers, an annual inquiry to identify below quota employers who may require permits to recruit staff not registered as disabled, and the inspection of employers' records by officers authorised by the MSC.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he proposes to take to make the quota scheme for the employment of registered disabled people more effective: if he sees the fit for work scheme as one of these steps; and if he proposes to end the quota scheme at any time.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 257]:

The quota scheme for the employment of disabled people is currently under review. The Manpower services Commission issued a discussion document in May to prepare the way for the review by obtaining the views of interested parties on the problems associated with the scheme and possible options for the future. Officials and the national advisory council on employment of disabled people will be considering the responses to the discussion document during the coming months, and it is expected that the Commission will be making recommendations on the future of the quota scheme to Ministers in the latter part of 1980.

The quota scheme is concerned only with the recruitment of registered disabled people. The MSC's fit for work campaign is a major initiative in the development of policies which go beyond quota by encouraging employers to adopt an enlightened approach towards not only recruitment but training, career development and promotion of all disabled people. Through the efforts of the MSC's disablement resettlement officers in particular I would see a continuing need to remind employers of the importance of giving full and fair consideration to the employment needs of disabled people, whatever the outcome of the quota review.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many Government permits have been issued to employees who claimed to be unable to employ their 3 per cent. quota of disabled people; what check is made on such claims; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 257]:

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that permits are not necessarily required by employers who claim to be unable to employ their quota of registered disabled people. They are required by employers who are below quota and who wish to engage someone who is not a registered disabled person. Before issuing such permits the MSC's local disablement resettlement officers will satisfy themselves that there are no suitable registered disabled people available to fill the vacancies in question.

Records are not maintained centrally of the number of permits issued to employers who are below quota. However, information is available on the number of employers to whom permits have been issued, and at the conclusion of the annual review on 1 June 1979 22,412 employers who were below quota had been issued with permits during the previous 12 months.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many payments have been made under the Manpower Services Commission's scheme for capital grants to employers of disabled people; what has been the total expenditure to date; and if he will make a statement about the operation and effectiveness of the scheme.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 257]:

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that since the scheme was introduced authority has been given for 127 adaptations to premises or equipment at a total cost of £100,326.

Greater use of the scheme is being encouraged through general publicity, in particular the fit for work campaign, which has led to an increase in the number of applications made. The scheme is being carefully monitored as applications increase to ensure that any problem can be identified and resolved.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average length of time an unemployed registered disabled person has been out of work; by how much this figure is greater than the average for all unemployed persons; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 257]:

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that information is not available in the form requested. However, the table below is supplied for comparison

NUMBERS AND PERCENTAGES UNEMPLOYED FOR THE PERIODS SHOWN
Registered disabled people All unemployed
Number (1,000s) Per cent. Number (1,000s) Per cent.
Up to 2 weeks 2.2 3.6 164.3 11.8
Over 2 and up to 4 weeks 2.0 3.3 170.4 12.2
Over 4 and up to 8 weeks 3.2 5.3 204.3 14.7
Over 8 and up to 13 weeks 3.0 5.0 112.0 8.0
Over 13 and up to 26 weeks 6.0 9.9 188.9 13.6
Over 26 and up to 52 weeks 8.5 14.1 211.6 15.2
Over 52 weeks 35.5 58.8 340.5 24.5
60.4 1,392.0
* Note: The figure of unemployed registered disabled people given in the above table includes 8,427 people in Section II who are considered capable of employment only under sheltered conditions. People in Section II are excluded when taking the general unemployment count.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered disabled people are unemployed; what is the number expressed as a percentage of the total registered disabled; and how this compares with the national average.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 258]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, in October 1979, there was 58,908 registered disabled people unemployed, representing 12.2 per cent. of the total number of registered disabled people. This compares with a general unemployment rate in October of 5.5 per cent.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers with over 20 workers are not at present employing their quota of 3 per cent. disabled people; and how many of them do

purposes. The information relates to 12 July 1979, the latest date for which figures for registered disabled people are available.

When comparing the duration of unemployment of registered disabled people with that of all unemployed, it needs to be recognised that 50 per cent. of all unemployed registered disabled people were aged 50 years and over, and are likely to have greater difficulty in obtaining employment compared with 22 per cent. of all unemployed. Of 35,500 registered disabled people who have been unemployed for over 52 weeks, 20,227— 57 per cent.—were aged 50 years and over.

The Government welcome the efforts of the MSC, as illustrated by their support of the MSC's fit for work campaign, to promote equitable employment opportunities for disabled people.

not hold Government permits of exemption.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 258]: I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that at the conclusion of the annual review on 1 June 1979 31,234 employers were below the 3 per cent. quota, including 8,822 who had not been issued with permits during the previous 12 months.

A permit does not exempt an employer from the requirements to employ the quota of registered disabled people. It authorises the engagement of a person who is not registered as disabled, and is issued only when no suitable registered disabled person is available.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the latest known and convenient public sector quota figures of disabled, expressed as numbers and percentages, for national and local government departments, including county councils and district councils.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 258]: I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 6 November.—[Vol. 973, c. 124–25.]

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list (a) the number of industrial enclaves and (b) the number of registered disabled workers employed in industrial enclaves for each year since the schemes' inception.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 256–57]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission, which has responsibility for employment services for disabled people, that the information relating to sheltered industrial groups, sometimes known as industrial enclaves or enclaves, is as follows:

Year Number of schemes Numbers employed
October 1960 1 10
April 1961 1 10
April 1962 1 11
April 1963 1 12
April 1964 1 16
April 1965 2 59
April 1966 4 76
April 1967 4 60
April 1968 4 57
April 1969 4 51
April 1970 5 70
April 1971 8 70
April 1972 8 72
April 1973 9 79
March 1974 12 92
March 1975 13 91
March 1976 18 124
March 1977 19 119
March 1978 23 165
March 1979 27 189

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of people in sheltered employment for each year since 1960 together with the number of workers registering for sheltered employment over the same period.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 256–57]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission, which has responsibility for employment services for disabled people, that the numbers of severely disabled people employed in sheltered workshops and the total numbers of severely disabled people registered as unemployed and eligible for consideration for sheltered employment during the period 1960 to 1979 were as follows:

Year Numbers in sheltered employment Numbers of registered unemployed severely disabled people
1960 11,193 4,564
1961 11,070 4,583
1962 11,396 4,864
1963 11,437 5,954
1964 11,772 6,414
1965 12,285 6,660
1966 12,137 6,736
1967 12,219 7,637
1968 12,582 8,670
1969 12,708 9,774
1970 12,769 10,168
1971 12,967 11,081
1972 12,988 12,702
1973 13,448 12,049
1974 13,575 10,989
1975 13,597 10,884
1976 13,755 11,634
1977 13,345 11,425
1978 13,311 10,367
1979 13,899 8,709

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of firms failing to fulfil their quota which also failed to apply for a permit to employ able-bodied workers for each year since 1960.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1979, c. 256–57]: I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that it is not possible to supply information in the precise form requested. However, the table below gives the numbers of firms which were below quota, and had not been issued with permits to enable them to recruit workers who were not registered as disabled, by the Manpower Services Commission during each year since 1964. Figures relating to 1960 to 1963 are not available.

Year and Number of Firms below Quota and Without Permit
1964 13,792
1965 12,528
1966 11,999
1967 12,948
1968 13,298
1969 14,455
1970 14,246
1971 14,848
1972 8,919
1973 8,225
Year and Number of Firms below Quota and Without Permit
1974 10,076
1975 10,729
1976 9,707
1977 10,060
1978 8,661
1979 8,822

Employers who were below quota and who had not been issued with permits had not necessarily broken the law unless they had recruited workers who were not registered as disabled.

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of firms prosecuted under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 for failing to employ their quota of disabled workers, the number found guilty and the number against which maximum fines

Year Relevant section of 1944 Act Result
1948 Section 14 (Failure to keep, preserve or produce proper records) Case dismissed
1948 Section 9(2) (Taking or offering to take into employment a person not registered as disabled—contrary to the provisions of the quota scheme) Admonition
1949 Section 9(2) (Taking or offering to take into employment a person not registered as disabled—contrary to the provisions of the quota scheme) Fine of £20 imposed
1949 Section 9(2) (Taking or offering to take into employment a person not registered as disabled—contrary to the provisions of the quota scheme) Fine of £2 imposed on each of two charges
1964 Section 9(5) (Discharging without reasonable cause a registered disabled person—contrary to the provisions of the quota scheme) Fine of £50 imposed
1973 Section 9(5) (Discharging without reasonable cause a registered disabled person—contrary to the provisions of the quota scheme) Fine of £100 imposed
1974 Section 9(5) (Discharging without reasonable cause a registered disabled person—contrary to the provisions of the quota scheme) Case dismissed
1975 Section 9(2) Fine of £5 imposed on each of two charges
1975 Section 9(2) Fine of £25 imposed on each of two charges
1975 Section 9(2) Fine of £100 imposed on each of two charges