HC Deb 25 June 1999 vol 333 cc469-70W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what consultations he had with trades unions in the preparation of the Remploy Corporate Plan; [87491]

  1. (2) what plans he has to review Remploy's Corporate Plan in respect of its potential effect on the skill levels of Remploy employment; [87492]
  2. (3) what guidelines exist to promote the replacement of employees of Remploy with other disabled persons. [87501]
Ms Hodge

There have been no discussions between the Remploy Trade Unions, which represent the weekly paid employees, and the Remploy Management in preparing the Remploy 1999–02 Corporate Plan. I understand that the Remploy Trade Unions were invited by the Remploy Board of Directors to a meeting to discuss the Plan in April this year. The Remploy Trade Union, MSF, which represents the majority of the monthly paid employees, was the sole union to attend the meeting. The Remploy Board have made clear that they would welcome discussions with the Trades Unions before, and during, the development of the next Corporate Plan.

As the Corporate Plan 1999–02 has just been published, there are no plans to review it. I understand that Remploy are not expecting deskilling of employees as a result of planned changes. Remploy has necessarily had a long experience of retraining its disabled employees to adapt to changes in the labour market and increased competition from other countries. By taking the initiative in this way, Remploy continues to best protect the interests of its disabled workforce.

The Government have set the Remploy Board of Directors a range of annual performance targets that are the parameters within which Remploy operates. The targets for 1999 have been announced recently in the House, and include a target to increase the number of disabled people employed by the Company. This year's target is to employ an overall total of 10,150 disabled people. How this will be achieved is a matter for the Remploy Board, but the chief means of doing this will be by recruitment through Remploy's interwork programme.