§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of firms in Wales employing 20 or more employees have(a) employed a 3 per cent. quota of registered disabled people and (b) been issued bulk exemption permits under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944, for each year from 1979 to the present.
§ Mr. David HuntThe information requested, where available, is given in the following table. The data cover employers with headquarters in Wales and those with establishments only in Wales.
Percentage of Percentage of employers with 20 or more workers who employed at least 3 per cent registered disabled people on 1 June Percentage of employers with 20 or more workers issued with bulk permits during the 12 months to 1 June1 1979 45.1 36.7 1980 43.9 38.0 1981 43.2 38.5 1982 45.6 39.4 1983 34.1 28.7 1984 448 42.2 1985 n/a n/a 1986 32.9 456 1987 33.1 43.3 1988 29.3 40.0 1989 26.8 39.9 1990 26.0 38.1 1991 26.9 39.4 Source: Employment Service 1 The issue of a bulk permit does not exempt the employer from their duties and obligations under the 1944 Act. Bulk permits are issued in accordance with the Act. They enable an employer who is below quota to engage a specified number of people who are not registered as disabled, during a period of up to 6 months, and remain within the law. Employers who are below quota, and who have not been issued with permits, are not necessarily breaking the law.