§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what studies he has conducted into overseas(a) experience and (b) practice in connection with vocational rehabilitation. [20806]
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 6 December 2001]: We have commissioned a review of published evaluation evidence of vocational rehabilitation programmes in Europe, North America and Australia. We expect to publish the findings of this review in February 2002.
The Disability Services Research Partnership is undertaking a study of good practice in work preparation that will include lessons from international research. This project is expected to run until March 2002.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the report of the British Society for Rehabilitation Medicine "Vocational Rehabilitation— The Way Forward". [20800]
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 6 December 2001]: We welcome the contribution of the British Society for Rehabilitation Medicine to the debate on how to keep those people with an illness or disability in touch with the labour market and to reduce the numbers claiming incapacity benefit. We have fed ideas from the report into the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilots, which are in the final stages of design.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what studies he has conducted into the cost-efficiency of(a) early and (b) interim (i) rehabilitation and (ii) work preparation after (A) trauma, (B) illness and (C) degenerative conditions of employees. [20799]
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 6 December 2001]: In 2002 Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilots will be implemented which will help people in work affected by the onset of a long-term illness or disability. These pilots will test the effectiveness of intervening early with work focused help provided by health, employment and other agencies. The pilots will focus especially on people who complete six weeks on statutory sick pay, and who at that stage are at risk of not working again.
617WThe evaluation of the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilots will provide information on the cost effectiveness of a range of interventions aimed at maintaining in work people in the early stages of a potentially long-term illness or disability.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to improve liaison with(a) the Department of Health and (b) relevant agencies in connection with the delivery of (i) vocational rehabilitation and (ii) occupational health services. [20803]
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 6 December 2001]: Ministers from both Departments expect to meet soon to discuss possible arrangements for joint working to take forward work on vocational rehabilitation.
We have also been working closely with the Health and Safety Executive and Health Development Agency and we have had discussions with a number of representative organisations, companies and individuals.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for(a) establishing a centre of excellence for and (b) disseminating good practice in vocational rehabilitation. [20804]
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 6 December 2001]: We have examined existing vocational rehabilitation services in the UK and it is apparent that some of the work being undertaken is of high quality. We are looking for ways to make best use of this work and centres of excellence are one of the options being considered. Disseminating best practice is key to developing such complex strategies, and we expect the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilots to inform us about what works, and at what cost and why. We are still looking at how a possible UK vocational rehabilitation strategy might be structured and the organisations that will be involved.