HL Deb 01 August 1984 vol 455 cc872-4WA
Baroness Darcy (de Knayth)

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of permits issued in each of the last five years to firms employing less than the statutory quota of disabled employees are (a) permits to enable those firms to employ one able person to perform tasks which cannot be performed by a disabled person; and (b) bulk permits, and what steps they are taking to reduce the latter to a more satisfactory level.

The Earl of Gowrie

Information on the number of permits is not available centrally. However, the number of employers to whom permits have been issued is known and the table below shows the proportions of these who have received permits to fill immediate vacancies and bulk permits to cover anticipated vacancies.

The proportion of employers issued with bulk permits reflects the continuing decline in the number of registered disabled people which has reduced the effectiveness of the quota scheme. A working group set up by the Manpower Services Commission is at present looking at ways of improving the effectiveness of the existing quota legislation and the Government expect to receive the commission's recommendations later in the year.

Proportion of employers issued with permits who received:
Period 12 month to 1st June Immediate Permit ONLY(1) Bulk Permit ONLY(2) BOTH Immediate and Bulk Permits
1980 1.5% 93.2% 5.2%
1981 1.6% 95.3% 3.0%
1982 1.1% 96.6% 2.3%
1983 2.3% 95.6% 2.0%
1984 2.5% 96.3% 1.2%
(1) An "immediate" permit may authorise the engagement of one or more named individuals or a specified number of workers who are not registered as disabled into named occupations and is usually issued to cover recruitment into current vacancies for which no suitable registered disabled people are registered for employment at the Jobcentre.
(2) A "bulk" permit authorises in advance the engagement of a specified number of workers who are not registered as disabled during a period of up to six months. The number of engagements authorised is based on the employer's estimate of likely recruitment needs. Bulk permits are issued on the understanding that, during the period covered by the permit, the employer will notify details of vacancies which actually arise to the local Jobcentre and will consider sympathetically the engagement of any suitable registered disabled people who may become available.