HC Deb 11 November 1998 vol 319 cc235-6W
Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will announce his proposals for the expenditure of the money allocated to specialist disability services. [58574]

Ms Hodge

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment announced on 28 October 1998,Official Report column 340, a fund of an extra £30 million over 3 years to improve job opportunities for disabled people. The money will provide: 1,500 additional supported employment places to test new ways of helping disabled people move into open employment and to boost the subsidy to employers; extra help with work costs through Access to Work for an additional 4,000 disabled people; an increase to the Job Introduction Scheme subsidy from £45 to £75 a week helping to support a further 3,000 opportunities over three years.

In 1999 a range of organisations will be approached with the aim of developing initiatives which will test ways of increasing the scope for progression from the Supported Employment Programme into open employment. The additional help under the Access to Work programme and the Job Introduction Scheme will be managed by the Employment Service as part of their normal support to employers and disabled people.