Disabled People (Hansard, 23 February 1990)

§ Mr. Freeman

In the Department of Health in February 1990 there are 31 registered disabled employees, representing 0.74 per cent. of the work force. In addition, two appointments have recently been made under the sheltered placement scheme and another person with a disability is working for the Department at home under a remote working arrangement.

Responsibility for employment matters in the NHS rests with individual employing authorities. Figures recently published by the employment service show the number of registered disabled people employed by regional health authorities, at May 1989, to be:

Regional Health Authority	Registered disabled staff	Per cent, of work force
Northern	11.0	0.4
Yorkshire	15.0	0.5
Trent	¹13.5	0.4
East Anglia	3.0	0.2
North West Thames	3.0	0.9
North East Thames	0.0	0.0
South East Thames	4.0	0.3
South West Thames	4.0	0.4
Wessex	4.0	0.3
Oxford	11.0	0.6
South Western	9.0	0.5
West Midlands	46.0	0.9
Mersey	9.0	0.4
North Western	10.0	0.2
¹ Staff employed between 10 and 30 hours a week are counted as half a unit.

The figures are likely to understate the number of people with disabilities because many choose not to register as disabled.

Employers of more than 20 staff have a statutory duty to employ a 3 per cent. quota of registered disabled people. This is not binding on the Crown, but Government Departments, including the Department of Health, and health authorities aim to meet or improve on this quota.

953W

We have made clear to authorities the importance that we attach to equal opportunities for disabled people in employment, for example through our endorsement of the then Manpower Services Commission's code of practice on the employment of disabled people. We have also encouraged the formation of direct links between NHS personnel managers and the major organisations development unit of the disabled peoples service.