§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what consultations he has had with interested parties about the implications of the new 69W Workstep programme for the economic viability and maintenance of employment in sheltered employment factories. [144265]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 8 January 2001]: The design of the Workstep programme involved extensive consultation with a full range of interested parties. This included gathering the views of disabled people themselves through a public consultation exercise and also meetings with Supported Employment providers, Trade Unions and other interested parties.
Supported factories and businesses have and will continue to play an important role, both in supporting disabled people to progress into mainstream work and in providing longer-term support for people who face the greatest barriers to working.