§ Miss BeggTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he plans to(a) re-introduce the Fit for Work scheme operated by the Department for Employment and (b) establish an alternative scheme to recognise companies who make life better for disabled people. [48756]
§ Maria EagleAlthough the Fit for Work scheme was initially successful, it gradually became less effective at promoting employers' awareness of disabled people's potential in the workforce and was ended in 1991.
There are no plans to reintroduce the scheme as it has been replaced by the two ticks disability symbol initiative which was launched in 1990 to foster employers' commitment to good practice in employing disabled people. This scheme is administered by the Jobcentre Plus Disability Service, which maintains a database of employers using the symbol, who currently number around 5,000. The Disability Service updates the database with information from Disability Employment Advisers and compiles the National List of Disability Symbol Users, which gives details of all symbol users and the town or city in which they are located. All symbol users have signed a declaration agreeing that this information can be included on the list. Copies of the list are available to members of the public from their local Disability Employment Adviser.