§ Mr. Bradfordasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is satisfied with the present system of monitoring the numbers of registered disabled people who obtain jobs in both the private and public sectors in Northern Ireland; and whether the system has resulted in securing the statutory number of jobs for the disabled under section 9 of the Disabled Persons Employment Act 1945.
§ Mr. Adam ButlerThe present arrangements for monitoring the employment of registered disabled people, based upon the quota system under section 9 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act (Northern Ireland) 1945, parallel those in Great Britain under the Disabled 211W Persons (Employment) Act 1944. I am reviewing the operation of the quota system in Northern Ireland and will take into account the results of a corresponding review in Great Britain.
As registration is voluntary, many disabled people, who are in employment, have never registered and are not within the scope of the quota system. It is therefore not possible to know whether these statutory requirements are being met.
§ Mr. Bradfordasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the total number of jobs in the Northern Ireland Civil Service is filed by registered disabled persons.
§ Mr. AlisonOn 1 January 1981, 1.4 per cent. of jobs in the Northern Ireland Civil Service were filled by registered disabled persons.
§ Mr. Bradfordasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the total number of jobs in the public sector in Northern Ireland, excluding the Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is filled by disabled people.
§ Mr. AlisonI shall reply to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Bradfordasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the total number of jobs in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is filled by registered disabled persons.
§ Mr. David MitchellThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I am informed by the chairman that the percentage of the total number of jobs filled by registered disabled persons is 1.6 per cent.
The Housing Executive acts under an exclusion order from the Department of Manpower Services, to take 212W account of the wide range of technical and professional posts where it is difficult to recruit suitably qualified disabled staff.
§ Mr. Bradfordasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give, as a percentage of the total work force in the private sector in Northern Ireland, the number of registered disabled persons employed in that sector.
§ Mr. Adam Butler5,088 registered disabled people were employed in the private sector firms in Northern Ireland covered by the latest annual census at 1 June 1980.
This represents 1.66 per cent. of the total work force of these firms. The census excludes firms not subjected to the statutory quota arrangements under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act (Northern Ireland) 1945.