HC Deb 28 February 1991 vol 186 cc599-600W
Rev. Martin Smyth

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the proportion of disabled people employed in each Department for the years 1987, 1988 and 1989.

Dr. Mawhinney

The proportion of Northern Ireland civil service (NICS) staff who were or had previously been registered as disabled is given for each of the years 1987 and 1989 as follows:

Percentage registered disabled
Department 1987 1989
Agriculture 0.8 1.1
Economic Development 1.1 1.4
Education 1.1 0.8
Environment 0.9 1.3
Finance and Personnel 0.8 1.2
Health and Social: Services 1.2 1.3
Northern Ireland Office (NICS) 0.8 1.0
Overall 0.98 1.2

The position for 1988 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Dr. Mawhinney

The costs of grants paid to students' unions by education and library boards during this period were as follows:

A confidential questionnaire issued to staff in the Northern Ireland civil service established that 5 per cent. considered themselves to have some disability, though the majority had not registered that disability.

There was one registered disabled person employed during 1987–89 in the home civil service group in the Northern Ireland Office, though a similar proportion of staff considered themselves to have some form of disability.

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