§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will issue a Green Paper on employment for disabled people.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Exeter (Sir J. Hannam) on 26 January 1993,Official Report, column 659.
§ Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment under what circumstances it is her Department's policy to invoke prosecutions of employers under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 15 February 1993]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State believes that every effort should be made to educate and persuade employers to adopt positive employment policies towards disabled people and thereby comply with the Act.
Officials will therefore seek to resolve such matters by negotiation and advice wherever possible. Where this is unsuccessful or inappropriate, prosecution will be considered on the basis of the circumstances of the case, the strength of the evidence and the public policy interest.
§ Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) under what circumstances an employer would be refused an application for bulk permits to employ people not registered disabled;
(2) how many applications for bulk permits to employ people not registered disabled have been refused in the last 15 years.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 15 February 1993]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Eric Illsley, dated 17 February 1993:
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions to her about bulk 246W permits. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.A bulk permit would be refused if my local Disability Employment Adviser considered that sufficient suitably qualified registered disabled people are likely to be available to fill the employers vacancies.A bulk permit would also be refused where the employer fails to show they will take reasonable steps towards recruiting suitable registered disabled people. The permit is issued on the understanding the employer will notify vacancies to the Jobcentre and will consider sympathetically the engagement of any suitable registered disabled people.I regret I am unable to say how many bulk permits have been refused in the last fifteen years as such information is not held centrally.As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many campaigns the Government have organised in the last 15 years to encourage disabled people to register their disabilities with her Department.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 15 February 1993]: We have not run any specific campaign to encourage disabled people to register under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944. However disability employment advisers in local jobcentres provide disabled people with information about registering as disabled.