HC Deb 09 January 1996 vol 269 cc153-5W
Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will publish the guidance notes issued by the Employment Service to disability employment advisers following the implementation of changes made to the access to work scheme. [8146]

Mr. Paice

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. Tom Clarke, dated 9 January 1996: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about publishing Employment Service guidance notes issued to Disability Employment Advisers. We do not as a matter of course publish our guidance notes. However, all guidance notes, including those issued to Disability Employment Advisers, are available to those who request them. I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have benefited from support through the access to work scheme during its first year of operation; and how many and what proportion of these have been unemployed(a) at the point of making a request for support and (b) when receiving support. [8149]

Mr. Paice

Some 10,023 disabled people were successfully helped by the access to work programme in its first operational year—6 June 1994 to 31 May 1995. Of these, 1,652 were unemployed when they applied. This represents less than 20 per cent. Access to work was launched with the specific aim of helping disabled people into work.

Mr. Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action is being undertaken by her Department to monitor the effect of changes in the access to work scheme on disabled people. [8144]

Mr. Paice

The Employment Service will continue to monitor the access to work programme.

Mr. Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if a disabled person reassessed for support under new arrangements for the access to work scheme will be entitled to retain existing equipment if it is of continued usefulness. [8143]

Mr. Paice

Each case will need to be individually considered. It is likely though that a disabled person who has been reassessed for support will be able to retain existing equipment if it is of continued usefulness.

Mr. Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the level of cost saving which will result from the introduction of changes to the access to work scheme for the period between 18 December 1995 and April 1996. [8147]

Mr. Paice

We have to ensure that expenditure remains within the resources available and is equitably shared. Additional funds have, however, already been allocated to the access to work budget for 1995–96 to ensure that we can keep helping disabled people until the end of the year.

Mr. Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on what grounds unemployed people can be supported through the access to work scheme. [8150]

Mr. Paice

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment announced on 14 December 1995,Official Report, column 738, that, from 18 December 1995, help from access to work would be targeted on unemployed disabled people. Applications for assistance will be considered from disabled people who have not been in paid work for at least four weeks.

Mr. Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the eligibility for support under the access to work scheme between 18 December 1995 and April 1996 of(a) people who become disabled and wish to retain their present employment, but who have new needs, (b) disabled persons whose circumstances change due to changes in their present employment or to internal promotion, (c) disabled people in employment who apply for support under the access to work scheme for the first time, (d) disabled people who become self-employed, (e) disabled people in supported employment who develop new needs and (f) disabled people who have new needs stemming from changes to office systems and practices. [8145]

Mr. Paice

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange a reply to be given.

Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. Tom Clarke, dated 9 January 1996: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about eligibility conditions for Access to Work. The Secretary of State announced on 14 December that from 18 December Access to Work would be targeted on meeting existing commitments; to applications to renew arrangements which fully satisfied the programme's rules and criteria prior to 18 December and which would otherwise have lapsed; and to people with disabilities who have been unemployed for at least four weeks. Disability Employment Advisers in Placing Assessment and Counselling Teams assess the work needs of disabled people and decide according to their individual needs and circumstances whether support can be given under Access to Work. Whenever possible they agree the decision with the disabled person and their employer or potential employer. I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the number of unemployed people who will be assisted through the access to work scheme between 18 December 1995 and April 1996. [8148]

Mr. Paice

Any reduction in the number of applications may be in line with research findings into access to work, which indicate that over 80 per cent. of all applications are from people already in paid employment.