§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of(a) blind and (b) partially sighted people in each of the nations of the UK are unemployed. [79763]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownThere is no central register of people who are clinically blind or partially sighted. However, some information on the number of people reporting a visual impairment is available from the Labour Force Survey. The available information is in the table.
People Of Working Age Who Report That They Have Difficulty In Seeing Percentage Not In Employment England 62 Wales 66 Scotland 67 Northern Ireland * United Kingdom 63 Notes:
1. Percentages are calculated from the Spring 2002 Labour Force Survey.
2. The data do not include respondents whose eyesight problems are effectively compensated for by wearing glasses or contact lenses. However, the LFS may overstate the numbers because some of those who identify difficulty in seeing would not necessarily be diagnosed as blind or partially sighted.
3. The term "not in employment" includes people who are not actively seeking work as well as those who are covered by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition of unemployment. The ILO unemployment rates for people with visual impairments are only available for England and the UK because of small sample sizes.