§ Mr. David MartinTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether people with disabilities will continue to have priority on her Department's main employment and training programmes.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe inclusion of people with disabilities in the Department's aim group has meant, in effect, that they have had priority for a place on a suitable programme. At the same time as we introduce training for work, we are strengthening the priority that people with disabilities will have on these programmes. The effect will be that people with disabilities will have priority for a place not just on one suitable programme but on each one for which they are suitable. This represents a significant enhancement of the priority given at the moment to people with disabilities.
The programmes for which people with disabilities will have priority for a place from 1 April are: training for work, jobclub, job interview guarantee, work trial and business start-up.
In addition, as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made clear in his Budget statement, people with disabilities will be given priority on learning for work and community action.