HC Deb 16 November 1998 vol 319 cc407-8W
Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to combat discrimination against disabled people in matters not yet covered by legislation. [58389]

Ms Hodge

The Disability Rights Task Force was set up in December 1997 to consider how best to secure comprehensive, enforceable civil rights for disabled people within the context of our wider society, and to make recommendations on the role and functions of a Disability Rights Commission.

It provided Government with its recommendations on the role and functions of the Disability Rights Commission before Easter. These formed the basis of the

first statistical information will be available in the GSS press notice due to be published in mid December.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what statistics he is collecting on the interval between interviews given to those on the gateway under the new deal for young people. [59176]

Mr. Andrew Smith

[holding answer 11 November 1998]: Whilst the progress of each individual new deal client from one interview to another throughout the gateway is carefully monitored by their personal adviser, consolidated statistics could be produced at present only through disproportionate additional bureaucracy and cost.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have been sanctioned under the New Deal(a) by reason, (b) by category of intake, (c) by region, (d) by option where relevant and (e) by month, up to the most recent date for which the information is available. [59175]

Mr. Andrew Smith

[holding answer 11 November 1998]: National to September, 1,352 new deal participants have been sanctioned, either under new deal sanction categories or through general Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) adjudication. The breakdown, by categories and regions, is as follows:

White Paper Promoting disabled people's rights—Creating a Disability Rights Commission fit for the 21st Century. We intend to legislate to create the Disability Rights Commission as soon as the Parliamentary timetable allows.

The Disability Rights Task Force is expected to report on the wider issues by July 1999.

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