Employ people with disabilities Taxi driver charged

Businesses in West Lothian are being encouraged to recognise the many benefits of employing people with disabilities.

Only around 40 per cent of working age disabled adults are in employment, compared with more than 80 per cent of adults with no disability. A campaign is underway to redress this imbalance, targeting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and highlighting the information and support which is available to help access this untapped talent pool.

Meanwhile, an internship programme for disabled people run by Inclusion Scotland will be opened up to SMEs for the first time, creating new avenues of work experience in the private sector.

Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman said: “Disabled people should have equal access to employment opportunities and we are committed to reducing the employment gap by at least half. Their skills, hard work and commitment are valuable to any employer – and with practical and financial support available to businesses it just makes sense to recruit from the widest talent pool possible.”

Employability Minister Jamie Hepburn added: “By highlighting the clear benefits of diverse recruitment practices, we believe more small business can help ensure a greater proportion of disabled people can become valued employees. I would encourage all SMEs in West Lothian to get involved and find out more.”Businesses can visit employabilityinscotland. com for further advice. Police have charged a 60- year- old female taxi driver with wasting police time and fraud. It follows an investigation into a report that a private hire driver was attacked and robbed in West Calder on Saturday, February 11.

Detective Superintendent Pat Campbell of Lothians & Scottish Borders CID said: “This report caused significant concern within the communities of Lanark and West Calder and I want to thank everyone who supported our investigation by sharing our various appeals and getting in touch with information.

“Extensive enquiries by detectives in both West Lothian and Lanarkshire have been ongoing into this report for almost five months. Our investigation has now concluded with a woman being charged in connection with fraud and wasting police time.”

A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal and the 60 yearold is expected to appear in court at a later date.