asked the Minister for the Civil Service what is the proportion of disabled persons employed by Government Departments in the United Kingdom.

The total number of registered disabled people employed by Government Departments is 15,211, and this figure represents 2·09 per cent. of the total work force. These figures relate only to those disabled people who are known to be registered. However, registration is voluntary, and many disabled employees choose not to register. Likewise, there is no obligation to disclose registration to an employer.