HC Deb 14 July 1983 vol 45 cc418-23W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, for the latest available date and previous two years , what numbers and percentages of (a) registered disabled people and (b) total United Kingdom work force have been unemployed for (i) up to two weeks, (ii) over two and up to four weeks, (iii) over four and up to six weeks, (iv) over six and up to eight weeks, (v) over eight and up to 13 weeks, (vi) over 13 and up to 26 weeks, (vii) over 26 and up to 52 weeks, (viii) over 52 weeks and up to two years and (ix) over two years.

Mr. Alan Clark

The numbers unemployed and those numbers expressed as a percentage of the work force in each group among registered disabled people and the total work force in Great Britain within the periods requested are set out below. The information is not available for the United Kingdom as a whole. The information relates to 14 October 1982, 8 October 1981 and 9 October 1980.

Duration of unemployment Year Registered disabled people All workers
per cent. per cent.
(i) up to two weeks 1982 1,686 0.4 152,708 0.7
1981 2,091 0.4 155,454 0.7
1980 2,648 0.6 170,268 0.7
(ii) over two and up to four weeks 1982 1,850 0.4 158,631 0.7
1981 2,019 0.4 164,891 0.7
1980 2,320 0.5 158,724 0.7
(iii) over four weeks and up to six weeks 1982 1,738 0.4 212,592 0.9
1981 1,784 0.4 193,823 0.8
1980 2,209 0.5 151,297 0.6
(iv) over six and up to eight weeks 1982 1,515 0.4 139,412 0.6
1981 1,627 0.4 124,644 0.5
1980 1,819 0.4 111,711 0.5
(v) over eight and up to 13 weeks 1982 3,399 0.8 262,819 1.1
1981 3,817 0.8 272,322 1.1
1980 4,395 0.9 252,017 1.1
(vi) over 13 and up to 26 weeks 1982 7,609 1.7 516,603 2.2
1981 9,259 2.0 552,579 2.3
1980 8,481 1.8 431,841 1.8
(vii) over 26 and up to 52 weeks 1982 12,096 2.7 610,062 2.6
1981 14,831 3.2 666,103 2.8
1980 10,538 2.2 318,565 1.3
(viii) over 52 weeks and up to two years 1982 17,999 4.1 668,229 2.9
1981 16,999 3.7 490,982 2.1
1980 10,230 2.2 190,530 0.8
(ix) over two years 1982 28,373 6.5 449,928 1.9
1981 24,629 5.3 255,622 1.1
1980 22,318 4.7 188,029 0.8

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each of the last five years and for 1983 to the latest available date (a) the number of employers issued with a permit because they are unable to fulfil their quota obligations and (b) the number of employers not fulfilling quota with no permit; and what percentage of all employers subject to quota each of these figures represent.

Mr. Alan Clark

The information requested is collected annually and is set out below for the years 1978 to 1982. Figures for 1983 are not yet available.

Number of below quota employers who had been issued with permits in the 12 months to 1 June Figures in col. (a) as a percentage of all employers subject to quota Number of below quota employers who had NOT been issued with permits in the 12 months to 1 June Figures in col. (c) as a percentage of all employers subject of quota
(a) (b) (c) (d)
per cent. per cent.
1978 21,785 45.2 8,661 18.0
1979 22,412 46.4 8,822 18.3
1980 22,001 47.2 8,225 17.7
1981 21,183 48.4 7,890 18.0
1982 19,796 46.8 9,032 21.4

Duration of unemployment Year Registered severely disabled people Unregistered severely disabled people
per cent. per cent.
(i) up to two weeks 1982 83 1.1 29 0.7
1981 84 1.1 49 1.2
1980 120 1.6 82 2.0
(ii) over two and up to four weeks 1982 77 1.0 45 1.0
1981 77 1.0 32 0.8
1980 107 1.4 84 2.0

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment for 1983 to the latest available date and for the previous two years, what numbers and percentages of people registered under part two of the disabled persons employment register have been unemployed for (a) up to two weeks, (b) over two and up to four weeks, (c) over four and up to six weeks, (d) over six and up to eight weeks, (e) over eight and up to 13 weeks, (f) over 13 and up to 26 weeks, (g) over 26 and up to 52 weeks, (h) over 52 weeks and up to two years and (i) over two years.

Mr. Alan Clark

The numbers and percentages of disabled people who are likely to be capable only of work in sheltered conditions within the periods of unemployment requested are set out below. The information relates to 14 October 1982, the latest available date, 8 October 1981, and 9 October 1980.

Duration of unemployment Year Registered severely disabled people Unregistered severely disabled people
per cent. per cent.
(iii) over four weeks and up to six weeks 1982 76 1.0 54 1.2
1981 61 0.8 50 1.2
1980 95 1.2 66 1.6
(iv) over six and up to eight weeks 1982 71 0.9 52 1.2
1981 75 1.0 45 1.1
1980 97 1.3 59 1.4
(v) over eight and up to 13 weeks 1982 163 2.2 101 2.3
1981 158 2.0 103 2.5
1980 242 3.1 175 4.2
(vi) over 13 and up to 26 weeks 1982 414 5.6 248 5.7
1981 426 5.5 250 6.0
1980 563 7.3 353 8.5
(vii) over 26 and up to 52 weeks 1982 696 9.3 402 9.2
1981 812 10.4 449 10.9
1980 840 10.9 480 11.5
(viii) over 52 weeks and up to two years 1982 1,218 16.3 718 16.4
1981 1,523 19.6 761 18.4
1980 1,119 14.6 603 14.6
(ix) over two years 1982 4,692 62.6 2,730 62.3
1981 4,551 58.6 2,394 57.9
1980 4,485 58.6 2,254 54.2

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what, for each of the last two years and in 1983 to the latest available date have been the percentage increases in unemployment for (a) registered disabled people, (b) unregistered disabled people and (c) the United Kingdom total work force;

(2) how many persons, and what percentage of the work force, were on the disabled employment register at the

Disabled people registered for employment Unemployment among all workers
All disabled people Unregistered disabled people Registered disabled people All unemployed* people
Nos. Nos. Nos. Per cent, of disabled persons' register Nos. Per cent. rate
April 1981 177,960 104,536 73,424 16.0 2,279,200 9.7
April 1982 195,409 118,470 76,939 17.2 2,714,300 11.6
April 1983 188,998 113,619 75,379 16.9 3,053,500 13.1
Per cent. change
April 1981–April 1982 +9.8 + 13.3 +4.8 + 19.1
Per cent. change
April 1982–April 1983 + 12.5
* New basis (claimants) seasonally adjusted. Figures for April 1981 and April 1982 are estimates.

From October 1982, the compulsory requirement to register for employment as a condition for the receipt of unemployment benefit was removed for people aged 18 years or over. The figures for disabled people for April 1983 therefore relate to those who choose to register for employment at MSC jobcentres and those registered at careers offices. It is not possible to provide figures on a comparable basis for earlier years, and no indicator is therefore available for the percentage change between April 1982 and April 1983.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions were brought in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 to the latest available date, against employers who failed to fulfil the 3 per cent. quota for employment of disabled people.

latest available date and on the same date for the previous two years; and how many and what percentage of the total United Kingdom work force were unemployed on the same dates.

Mr. Alan Clark

The information is not available in the precise form requested. The available figures for Great Britain for the two years to April 1983 are as follows:

Mr. Alan Clark

No prosecutions have been brought during the period for infringements of the provisions of the quota scheme.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, at the latest available date and on same date in the previous two years, what was the average level of compliance with the quota for the employment of disabled people by (a) all employers, (b) the public sector, (c) the private sector and (d) Government Departments.

Mr. Alan Clark

As at 1 June in each case, the average levels of quota fulfilment were as follows:

1980 1981 1982
per cent. per cent. per cent.
(a) All employers subject to the 3 per cent. quota 1.5 1.4 1.3

1980 1981 1982
per cent. per cent. per cent.
(b) Public sector employers 1.2 1.1 1.1
(c) Private sector employers 1.7 1.5 1.5
(d) Government Departments 1.7 1.6 1.6

The figure for public sector employers includes that for Government Departments. Figures for June 1983 are not yet available.