§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many of the million people with disabilities cited in Support for Disabled People who state they wish to work will benefit from the investment in specialist disability services announced in this document. [58133]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 3 November 1998]: The Government's recent announcement set out action already taking place and proposed changes to help one million disabled people who are not in work but who want to work. This includes the reform of the All Work Test to focus on capacity as well as incapacity; a single gateway interview to provide advice and support into work; and, looking at ways of helping disabled people stay in work through the New Deal for Disabled People.
658WOur investment of an additional £30m in specialist disability services will be of direct help to some 8,500 disabled people who need extra support to get a job. Since some of this money will be used to test new ways of helping disabled people into work, the actual number helped over time will be greater.
People with a disability or long term illness will also be able to benefit from the New Deal for Disabled People for which £195 million has been set aside for the lifetime of this Parliament. This will pilot a range of initiatives to help disabled people and those with long-term illness into work and training through the Government's Welfare to Work approach.