§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment, with regard to the permits available to employers who cannot fulfil their duties under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944, if he will list for each of the past five years (a) the numbers of employers applying for such permits and the numbers of permits applied for and (b) the numbers of employers estimated not to be fulfilling the quota requirement of the Act and who have not applied for a permit.
§ Mr. AlisonInformation about applications for permits by employers who do not employ their full quota of registered disabled people is not collected centrally. However, figures are available showing, at 1 June each year, how many such employers had been issued with permits during the previous 12 months, and how many of them had not been issued with a permit. This information is as follows:
1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 Number of below quota employers who had been issued with permits in the 12 months to 1 June 21,785 22,412 22,001 21,183 18,796 Number of below quota employers who had not been issued with a permit in the 12 months to 1 June 8,661 8,822 8,225 7,890 10,032
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the quota scheme for the employment of disabled people; and if he has plans for a review of its working.
§ Mr. AlisonFollowing a review of the statutory quota scheme by the Manpower Services Commission which is
*1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 Adaptations to equipment Applications made 5 14 19 24 28 Applications approved 3 10 18 22 24 Adaptations to premises Applications made 33 59 85 65 80 Applications approved 23 38 76 61 70 Total Applications made 38 73 104 89 108 Applications approved 26 48 94 83 94 * From August 1977 onwards. A figure for the average time between applications and receipt of grants is not available. The average time between the initial application and the Manpower Services
46Wresponsible for its operation, my right hon. Friend announced on 29 July last that the Government had decided to retain the scheme for the time being. In doing so, he asked the commission to consider within the framework of the existing legislation the suggestions put forward by the Select Committee on Employment and others for improving the effectiveness of the existing scheme.
The commission has set up a working group to assist it in this task. This group includes representatives of the National Advisory Council on Employment of Disabled People, organisations representing disabled people, the CBI and the TUC.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department carries out any regular surveys on employers' attitudes to disabled people as job applicants and as employees; whether there has been a recent survey; and what plans he has for arty further surveys.
§ Mr. AlisonThree research projects have been carried out into employers' attitudes towards disabled people, and towards the services the Manpower Services Commission provides for disabled people, in recent years. The first, in 1979, was conducted as part of the commission's review of the quota scheme, and was used as a basis for the discussion document on the quota scheme published in that year. The second, of which the final report is due shortly, has been commissioned to provide material for the proposed code of practice on the employment of disabled people, and the third, also due to report shortly was commissioned to assist in the evaluation of the commission's Fit for Work award scheme. The commission will undertake further research in this area when necessary.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications were made by employers for grants towards the cost of adaptation to their premises or equipment to enable disabled people to obtain or retain employment; how many such applications were authorised; and what was the average time between application and receipt of such grants, in each category for each of the past five years.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information requested is as follows:
47WCommission's offer of a grant throughout this period was just under seven weeks. The grant is paid as soon as the employer has carried out the work and submitted his receipted invoices for payment.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment how much was granted by his Department and the Manpower Services Commission for the adaptation of employers' premises for disabled employees in each year since 1978–79, all at 1978–79 prices.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information requested is as follows:
£ 1978–79 30,984 1979–80 37,152 1980–81 35,538 1981–82 37,001
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment how much was spent on campaigns to promote the employment of disabled people in each year since 1978–79, at 1978–79 prices.
§ Mr. AlisonI shall reply to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the average earnings of (a) registered disabled people in open employment, (b) registered disabled people in sheltered employment and (c) all employed people, at the latest date for which figures are available and at the same date in each of the preceding five years.
§ Mr. AlisonI regret that fully comparable figures on the average earnings of the three categories of employees specified are not available.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many disablement resettlement officers are themselves disabled; and how many blind persons resettlement officers are significantly visually handicapped.
§ Mr. Alison52 disablement resettlement officers are registered as disabled. None of the blind persons resettlement officers employed by the Manpower Services Commission is significantly visually handicapped.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of (a) part-time and (b) full-time blind persons resettlement officers, the numbers of visually handicapped people interviewed by blind persons resettlement offices and the numbers of visually handicapped people placed in employment by blind persons resettlement offices, for the latest date for which they are available and for each of the preceding five years.
§ Mr. AlisonThe number if blind persons resettlement officers (both full-time and part-time) has not changed significantly over the past six years. There are currently about 30 full-time and eight part-time officers, although the number on post on any particular date is not available.
Records of the numbers of visually handicapped people interviewed by blind persons resettlement officers were not maintained nationally prior to September 1982. A record of total contacts has since been maintained. During the quarter ended December 1982, blind persons resettlement officers madee 3,877 contacts (including 48W those made by telephone) with visually handicapped people. The numbers of visually handicapped people placed in employment by blind persons resettlement officers for the latest available date, and for each of the preceding five years are shown as follows:
Year ending 30 September Number 1982 394 1981 385 1980 447 1979 564 1978 516 1977 472
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment, if he will list the numbers of (a) part-time and (b) full-time disablement resettlement officers officers, the numbers of disabled people interviewed by disablement resettlement and the numbers of disabled people placed in employment by disablement resettlement officers, at the latest available date and for each of the preceeding five years.
§ Mr. AlisonThe number of disablement resettlement officers in post on any particular date is not available, but during the years in question has ranged around 520 to 530, both part-time and full-time.
Records of the numbers of all interviews held with disabled people by disablement resettlement officers are not maintained nationally. The numbers of placings into employment by disablement resettlement officers for the specified years are set out as follows:
Number of disabled people placed into employment by disablement resettlement officers Number 1977 *47,857 1978 58,736 1979 60,099 1980 44,144 1981 35,259 1982 35,741 * Figures available for 11 months only.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list the numbers of unemployed people with a disability at the latest date for which figures are available and at the same date in each of the preceding five years; and how this estimate was reached;
(2) if he will list the numbers of registered disabled people unemployed for over one year and (a) available for open employment and (b) requiring sheltered employment at the latest date for which figures are available and at the same date in each of the five preceding years;
(3) if he will list the percentage of all unemployed people represented by (a) the number of registered disabled people unemployed and available for open employment and (b) the number of registered disabled people unemployed and requiring sheltered employment at the latest date for which figures are available and at the same date in each of the preceeding five years.
§ Mr. AlisonI shall reply to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list his priorities in additional 49W spending on the disabled should additional resources become available; and if he has identified any particular project.
§ Mr. AlisonWe shall be considering plans for spending on the disabled in the years 1983–87 in the year future when the Manpower Services Commission submits proposals in its corporate plan.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment for how many unemployed registered disabled people his Department and the Manpower Services Commission are preparing plans for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985, respectively.
§ Mr. AlisonPlans prepared by the Manpower Services Commission take into account forecasts of general levels of employment and unemployment and their likely impact on particular groups rather than specific estimates of the numbers of unemployed registered disabled people.
§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the organisations and individuals who have commented on the proposed "Code of Practice on the Employment of Disabled People"; when a decision will be made on the final code; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonThe Manpower Services Commission has prepared a draft framework for the code of practice. This framework has been considered and discussed by the National Advisory Council on Employment of Disabled People, and has also been issued to a wide range of organisations inviting them to comment by 28 January 1983. Comments have so far been received from the following organisations.
- The All Party Disablement Group
- Committees for Employment of Disabled People
- Avon
- Birmingham and Solihull
- Bradford and Calderdale
- Cambridge
- Cornwall
- Derbyshire
- Durham
- Dyfed
- Essex
- Grampian
- Leeds
- Leicestershire
- London North East
- Merseyside
- Newcastle
- Northamptonshire
- North Humberside
- North Yorkshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Shropshire
- South Staffordshire
- Wiltshire
- Association of Disabled Professionals
- British Deaf Association
- British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association
- British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association—York and District Branch
- Disabled Workforce
- National Council for Voluntary Organisations
- National League of the Blind and Disabled
- Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation
- Royal British Legion
- Royal National Institute for the Blind
- Royal National Institute for the Deaf
- The Spastics Society
- British Multiple Retailers Association
- Engineering Employers Federation
- Institute of Personnel Management
50 - Leeds Permanent Building Society
- Royal Insurance Group
- TUC
- ACAS
- Association of Metropolitan Authorities
- Health and Safety Executive, EMAS A2
- Low Pay Unit
- City of Manchester
- Manpower and Personnel Office
- Stoke on Trent Workshop for the Blind
- Dr. Felicity Edwards, Employment Medical Advisory Service
I understand that the commission expects to submit a draft code later in the year drawn up in the light of the comments received on their framework document. It will be published for public comment. Thereafter a final version will be prepared for use, initially on a voluntary basis, taking account of the comments made on the draft.
§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the organisations invited to comment on the Manpower Services Commission report "Review of Assistance for Disabled People"; what is the period for consultation; when he expects the final decision to be made; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonI shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.