Disabled Persons

HC Deb 26 November 1986 vol 106 cc253-4W

Mr. Wigley

asked the Paymaster General whether he has received any representations from any disablement organisation in relation to the recent European Community recommendation on the employment of disabled people; whether these representations express satisfaction or otherwise with the contents of the recommendations; and whether Her Majesty's Government supported or opposed the changes which took place in the final recommendation from the provisions of the earliest draft recommendation.

Mr. Lee

My Department received comments on the draft recommendation from the national advisory council

Parliamentary Constituency	Percentage Decrease per cent.
Shipley	8.4
Gillingham	8.3
Alyn and Deeside	8.2
Delyn	8.2
Stockton South	8.2
Worcester	8.2
Winchester	8.2
Swansea West	8.1
Sunderland North	8.0
Barking	8.0
Swansea East	7.8
Wrexham	7.8
Knowsley South	7.7
Hornchurch	7.7
Hyndburn	7.6
Tunbridge Wells	7.6
Staffordshire Moorlands	7.6
Workington	7.5

Note: Comparisons of unemployment between October 1985 and October 1986 are affected by the change in the timing of the compilation of unemployment statistics in March 1986.

Mr. Frank Field

asked the Paymaster General if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing information available to him on the size of the employed labour force or the nearest alternative statistic in 1979 in each country in the European Community and in each subsequent year up to 1985 including estimates or projections where official data are not available, and showing (a) the source and coverage of all figures and (b) the time frame of each figure.

Mr. Lee

The employment information requested is given in the attached table.

on employment of disabled people and from the Spastics Society. Both organisations broadly supported the recommendation but expressed some reservations on points of detail. Ministers and officials took an active part in negotiations on the recommendation, and I believe the final text provides a clear but flexible framework for the continued development of measures to help the employment of disabled people.