§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration the Manpower Services Commission has given to the future of employment rehabilitation centres; and whether any closures are planned.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that a review has recently been completed of its employment rehabilitation services and that it has decided to undertake experiments over the next three years to test different approaches to employment rehabilitation with a view to improving the quality and flexibility of the service. The report is currently being prepared for publication and in due course I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library. Clearly, as the developments are appraised there may in the future be certain changes in the way employment rehabilitation is provided, but in the meantime the current ERC network will be largely maintained. However, the review did point to a relative overprovision in the North East of England and the commission will, I understand, be considering at its February meeting whether two as opposed to three ERCs would suffice to meet the rehabilitation needs of the disabled in that part of the country.