HC Deb 05 March 1985 vol 74 cc473-4W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what assistance his Department and the Manpower Services Commission are giving to the Royal Association for Disablement and Rehabilitation's employability fortnight 15 to 26 April; and if he will make a statement.

Unemployed disabled people registered for work at Jobcentres and Careers Offices
Capable of open employment Appropriate for sheltered employment Unemployed registered disabled people as a percentage of all registered disabled people
December Registered disabled people Unregistered disabled people Total Registered disabled people Unregistered disabled people Total Capable of open employment Appropriate for sheltered employment
1974* (November) 49,760 N/A 49,760 10,359 N/A 10,359 8.7 1.8
1975 63,620 N/A 63,620 11,575 N/A 11,575 11.4 2.1
1976* (October) 65,150 N/A 65,150 11,395 N/A 11,395 12.0 2.1
1977 63,933 68,229 132,162 10,843 4,132 14,975 12.0 2.0
1978 55,913 68,048 123,961 9,086 3,818 12,904 11.3 1.8
1979 51,359 70,364 121,723 8,264 3,682 11,946 10.7 1.7
1980 60,887 93,152 154,039 7,773 3,812 11,585 12.9 1.7
1981 68,708 110,549 179,257 7,591 4,343 11,934 14.9 1.6
1982† 68,119 115,206 183,325 7,246 4,325 11,571 15.2 1.6
1983† 49,720 76,458 126,178 5,932 3,222 9,154 11.5 1.4
1984† 28,801 44,905 73,706 4,427 2,336 6,763 6.8 1.1
* Figures for December 1974 and 1976 are not available due to industrial action.
† Figures include only those unemployed disabled people who chose to register for employment.

Mr. Alan Clark

My right hon. Friend and I warmly welcome this initiative by the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation. I have agreed to speak at the Manchester conference and my hon. Friend the Minister with responsibility for the disabled has agreed to speak at the London conference. Senior manpower services officials will speak at the Wakefield and Birmingham conferences. In addition, the commission has been in discussion with the royal association, providing local knowledge about employers for whom invitations to the conferences would be appropriate. Information and publicity material on commission services for employers and disabled people are being supplied for use at the conferences. The employability fortnight will also be another major opportunity for bringing the new code of good practice on the employment of disabled people to the attention of employers.