§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assurances he has given the National League of the Blind and Disabled over stability of employment in Scotland's sheltered workshops for the disabled.
§ Mr. Alexander Fletcher:I have not been asked for assurances in such terms, although the National League for the Blind and Disabled has raised with me the matter of employment in one particular workshop. Employment in sheltered workshops is primarily the responsibility of the local authorities and voluntary organisations operating such workshops.
The Manpower Services Commission will however continue its financial commitment in the form of grants towards capital and revenue costs for the provision of sheltered employment in Scottish workshops, and its sheltered employment procurement and consultancy service will continue to seek suitable contracts for these workshops.
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of registered disabled unemployed in Dundee and in Tayside; and what percentage of the respective numbers of registered disabled in Dundee and Tayside this represents.
§ Mr. Alexander Fletcher:At September 1980, the latest date for which information is available, 348 registered disabled people were registered as unemployed in Dundee and 551 in Tayside. These figures represent 14.6 per cent. and 13.9 per cent. of all registered disabled persons in Dundee and Tayside, respectively.
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of registered disabled people in (a) Dundee and (b) Tayside who have been (i) unemployed for over one year and (ii) unemployed for over two years.
§ Mr. Alexander Fletcher:The following table gives the numbers of registered disabled people who on 9 October 1980 had 8W been on the unemployment register in Dundee and Tayside for the specified periods:
Dundee Tayside Unemployed for over one year but less than two 72 100 Unemployed for two years or more 105 190