§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the efforts he is making to improving work prospects for people in Wales who have a disability. [60546]
§ Mr. HainThe New Deal for Disabled People is testing out ways of providing active help into work for those who want it. Wales has the largest Personal Adviser Service pilot project. This started on 28 September 1998, in the Eastern Valleys (Ebbw Vale, Caerphilly, Blackwood, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare), and is being implemented by the Employment Service in partnership with the Benefits Agency. People on incapacity benefit in the pilot area are invited to participate on a voluntary basis and are offered individual support to help them overcome their barriers to employment.
In addition, under the innovative schemes strand of the New Deal, a number of pilot projects are being run in parts of Wales to help disabled people into work. These include projects being delivered by the Leonard Cheshire Foundation and Disability Business Partnerships. A second tranche of projects will be announced in the New Year.
Across the UK a range of measures are being taken which will help disabled people. These include:
an additional £30 million is to be invested by the Department for Education and Employment in specialist disability services over the next three years;the introduction of comprehensive and enforceable civil rights through full implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the establishment of a Disability Rights Commission;the removal of some of the benefits obstacles to work by extending the Social Security linking rule to protect people's rates of benefit and removing the restrictions on voluntary work;making work pay through the National Minimum Wage and the introduction of the new Disabled Person's Tax Credit.Further measures to help disabled people who want to work are set out in the recent consultation document "A New Contract for Welfare: Support for Disabled People". These include the introduction of the Single Gateway for all people of working age, including people with a long-term illness or disability and the reform of the "All Work Test".