LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK JUNE 2008

That this House looks forward to Learning Disability Week which runs from 15th to 21st June; welcomes the decision by Mencap to use the week to raise awareness of the significant contribution which people with a learning disability can and do make to the workplace; notes that there are an estimated 800,000 people of working age with a learning disability in the UK; is concerned that less than one in 10 people with a learning disability known to social services are in paid work; further notes that many people with a learning disability would like to work; is concerned that stigma and discrimination mean that some employers are reluctant to take on someone with a learning disability; and calls on the Government to ensure employers know there is specialist help and support available to those who want to employ people with a learning disability.