EFFORTS for Wales to control the funding of closure-threatened factories employing disabled people have been knocked back by the UK Government, education minister Leighton Andrews has said.
Mr Andrews today met minister for disabled people Maria Miller MP about Wales's Remploy facilities.
Last week, it was announced seven of the agency's factories in the principality had been earmarked for closure following a UK Government review.
The plans put 272 disabled workers in Wales at risk of redundancy.
Ms Miller previously explained the UK Government's decision to cease funding the affected factories because they made "significant losses year after year’’.
Today, Wales's Education and Skills Minister Leighton Andrews said he had been left disappointed following his head-to-head with his UK Government counterpart.
He said: "I asked Maria Miller whether she would devolve funding for Remploy factories in Wales for the next three years to the Welsh Government and she said no.
"That is disappointing.
"I would like to hope we can change their minds, but for now we have to move forward within the very stark parameters that have been set out by the UK Government.’’ Mr Andrews said the Welsh Government would continue to work with Remploy, unions and other interested parties to see if there was a "viable option’’ for those facing redundancy.
He added: "It is important to remember it is for the UK Government not the Welsh Government to bear the responsibility for its decision on Remploy. This includes the costs of any associated redundancy and transitional support.’’
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