Remploy

Lord Morgan Excerpts

Wednesday 5th October 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, clearly, that is a mixed question from my noble friend. I will look very closely at the optimal way of getting disabled people to take a full part in the economy of this country. I will certainly look very hard at that issue.

[Lord Morgan]

My Lords—

[Lord Addington]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Freud]

Yes, my Lords, I have the up-to-date data for the voluntary redundancy programme which took place in 2008. Of the people who chose to look for re-employment, there was a 90 per cent success rate in getting them jobs.

[Lord Morgan]

My Lords, we have been considering this properly from the point of view of the workers in Remploy. The other side, of course, is the advantages to business and productive industry. I have in mind industries, particularly printing and the industries connected with publishing, where Remploy workers have unique skills. Should we not seek to retain them?

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, that is precisely the point. Where there is a viable business proposition we would expect social enterprise or other forms of enterprise to pick up those units, make them viable and keep them viable into the long term on a sustainable basis.