§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that if the proposed integration experiment in some job centres whereby disabled people with minor handicaps are assisted by the employment adviser instead of the disablement resettlement officer is successful, there should be no reduction in the total number of disablement resettlement officers, but that they should be permitted to spend the extra time assisting the severely handicapped.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 5 February 1981, c. 182]: In response to the staffing cuts my right hon. Friend has asked the Manpower Services Commission to make, the commission has proposed in its corporate plan that it would reduce the number of disablement resettlement officers if integration trials successfully demonstrated that there are no adverse effects on services for disabled people. My right hon. Friend is now considering the corporate plan very carefully.
Mrs. RenéeShort asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the proposals of the Manpower Services Commission to cut its services to the disabled.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 5 February 1981, c. 183]: My right hon. Friend is considering very carefully all of the proposals in the Manpower Services Commission's (MSC) corporate plan, including those which concern disabled people, and he will reply to the commission as soon as possible. Before replying to the MSC, my right hon. Friend will, of course, pay particular attention to the recent report of the House of Commons Employment Committee.