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Mr. Scott : The administration of attendance allowance and disability living allowance are matters for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Civil Servants
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many civil servants in his Department are paid at a rate exceeding that of a Cabinet Minister.
Mr. Burt : The total salary, including reduced parliamentary salary, of most Cabinet Ministers is £63,047. The number of civil servants in the Department of Social Security whose pay exceeds that figure is three.
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Social Fund
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what errors were made in the calculation of social fund allocations to district offices for 1992-93 ; when they were discovered ; what changes were made in consequence and when ; how many districts have had their allocations reduced or increased ; and if he will supply details of the changes to hon. Members whose constituencies are affected.
Mr. Scott : An error in the data on which social fund discretionary budget allocations were based was identified on 17 March 1992 ; figures on income support caseload for a small number of districts had been attributed to the wrong districts. A full list of the revised allocations made to all districts was placed in the Library on 21 May 1992.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been his Department's response to the Social Security Advisory Committee's report "The Social Fund--A New Structure".
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 11 May at column 47.
Benefits Agency Answers
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a daily addendum to the Official Report which includes details of answers provided to hon. Members by the director of the Benefits Agency.
Mr. Burt : Copies of letters from the chief executive of the Benefits Agency which respond to hon. Members' questions are placed in the Library and Public Information Office. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 29 June at column 577 about future arrangements.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will now publish the evidence of all the organisations that replied to him in his recent consultations regarding the Child Support Agency regulations.
Mr. Burt : A number of interested organisations were approached for their views on the proposed content of the various regulations to be made under the Child Support Act 1991. It is for the organisations themselves to publish their views, if they wish to do so.
Retirement Age
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those organisations that supplied evidence to him in his recent consultations over the question of the equal state retirement age for men and women ; and if he will now publish the evidence provided by all these organisations.
Miss Widdecombe : Over 3,500 responses have been received from organisations and individuals on the question of equalising state pension age. We will be examining these responses in detail and will be prepared to
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accept late responses. The publication of the evidence received, and other issues arising from the discussion period, are still under consideration.EMPLOYMENT
Unemployment
10. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what specific measures she is taking to help the long-term unemployed.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I am determined to provide the best possible range of help and advice for long-term unemployed people. I keep our comprehensive package of employment and training measures under review to ensure that they continue to offer the most practical and effective help in getting back to work.
27. Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current level of unemployment ; and if she will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Compared with the previous month, there was a welcome slow-down in May in the increase in seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment, which for the United Kingdom stood at 2,716, 600.
22. Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures she has planned to reduce unemployment in Ilford, South.
Mr. McLoughlin : The employment service and training and enterprise councils deliver a wide range of employment, enterprise and training programmes to help unemployed people find the best and quickest route back to employment. In Ilford, South, as elsewhere, these programmes are tailored to take account of special local circumstances.
18. Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement about the level of unemployment in the northern region.
Mr. McLoughlin : In May 1992 seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment in the northern region was 153,800.
Mr. Wicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will publish a table showing unemployment rates by ethnic origin in Greater London on the same basis as the answer on 13 November 1990, Official Report, column 123, to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman).
Mr. McLoughlin : The information requested is as follows :
Unemployment rates by ethnic origin in Greater
London
aged 16 and over
Spring 1991
|per cent.
-----------------------------------------------
All persons<1> |9
White |8
Non-white |14
West Indian/Guyanese |15
Indian |12
Pakistan/Bangladeshi |18
other ethnic origins<2> |15
Source: Labour force survey.
<1>Includes those who did not state origin.
<2>Includes those of mixed origin.
#9172
Health and Safety
12. Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the definition of health and safety as used by European institutions in assessing the procedures by which instruments of European legislation are processed.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Article 118A of the treaty of Rome does not define health and safety, and we will continue to argue vigorously against its use where there are no proven health and safety risks.
Youth Training
15. Mr. Mandelson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will increase the Government's provision for young people's training.
Mr. McLoughlin : We plan to spend over £850 million on youth training in the current financial year. This compares with a mere £63 million spent on YOP in 1978-79. I am satisfied that this Government has given training and enterprise councils the resources they require to meet the training needs of young people.
Bridlington Agreement
16. Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will introduce legislation to make the Bridlington agreement unlawful.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Following proposals in the Green Paper, "Industrial Relations in the 1990s", my right hon. Friend intends to bring forward legislation which would greatly increase individuals' freedom to belong to the trade union of their choice. That legislation would make it unlawful for a union to exclude or expel an individual simply because it was required to do so through the application of the Trades Union Congress "Bridlington principles".
Employment
17. Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how full employment is currently defined.
Mr. McLoughlin : Full employment is a concept with no generally accepted definition.
Training
19. Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent review she has undertaken of the effectiveness of the Government's training programmes.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I am satisfied that, across the country as a whole, the Government's training programmes are meeting the needs of young people, unemployed people and the economy.
Single Parents
20. Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action she is taking to allow single parents to carry out employment and training.
Mr. McLoughlin : We offer single parents help to join employment training through special eligibility conditions
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and the chance to train on a part-time basis. In addition, all single parents who have been out of work for six months or more are eligible to join a job club. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security is also making changes to the benefit system which will make it easier for single parents to go to work when they are ready to do so.European Community Working Time Directive
21. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement about the EC's proposals to introduce a 48-hour working week.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The proposed working time directive was discussed at the Social Affairs Council on 24 June. I made it clear that the United Kingdom continues to have very severe doubts about the directive as a whole and its proposed legal base. In discussions on the text, the United Kingdom secured all its key objectives, in particular the right for employees to work for more than 48 hours a week if they choose to do so. Other member states continued to have difficulties with the directive as drafted and in consequence the Council did not reach a common position.
Women Workers
23. Mr. Dickens : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how she intends to increase opportunities for women throughout the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I have nothing further to add to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend on 9 June 1992, Official Report, column 140.
Pregnant Workers
24. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will support the European Commission pregnant women at work directive.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Government are seeking to uphold the common position on the directive which was agreed by the Council of Ministers in 1991.
Travel-to-Interviews Scheme
25. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to review the pilot scheme for travel to interviews currently operated on the Isle of Wight.
Mr. McLoughlin : I am informed by the chief executive of the Employment Service that the pilot arrangements for travel to interviews currently operated on the Isle of Wight are being considered as part of an ongoing review of the travel-to-interview scheme. In the meantime, the pilot arrangements for the Isle of Wight will continue.
Training and Enterprise Councils
26. Mr. Batiste : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps she is taking to raise awareness among small businesses of the services offered to them by training and enterprise councils.
Mr. McLoughlin : Training and enterprise councils (TECs) offer businesses, including small businesses, a
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variety of support services to help business development. In doing so, TECs work with other local organisations such as chambers of commerce and local enterprise agencies. TECs are therefore best placed to raise awareness and market these services at local level.Work Statistics
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated ratio of the work force to the non-working population (a) currently and (b) in the years (i) 2000, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2020, respectively.
Mr. McLoughlin : In 1991, the ratio of the estimated United Kingdom civilian labour force to the non-working population was 0.999. In the year 2000, the corresponding ratio is projected to be 0.995. Labour force projections are not currently available beyond the year 2001.
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is her estimate of the size of the work force relative to the size of the retired population in the years (a) 2000, (b) 2010 and (c) 2020, respectively.
Mr. McLoughlin : In the year 2000 the United Kingdom civilian labour force is projected to be 29,449,000, 2.97 times the retired population.
Labour force projections are not currently available beyond the year 2001.
Disabled People
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria she uses to measure the performance of employment services for disabled people ; what plans she has to improve these services ; what consultations she intends to carry out with disability organisations before introducing any amendments to service provision ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Employment Department's main provision for helping to meet the employment needs of people with disabilities is delivered through the Employment Service (ES).
The ES's objectives in its services for people with disabilities are to provide them with particular assistance to take advantage of work and training opportunities ; and to help and encourage employers to make such opportunities available. The annual performance agreement between the Employment Department and ES sets out a performance target for the ES for 1991-92 that 2.5 per cent. of the total number of people placed in work are to be people with disabilities. In addition, the ES monitors the effectiveness of schemes using both management information, such as the numbers of people benefiting, and special research and surveys.
Proposals for improving the Department's services for people with disabilities were contained in the consultative document "Employment and Training of People with Disabilities" published in June 1990 and further proposals were made when the "Evaluation of Special schemes for People with Disabilities" was published in November 1990. We received many responses to these documents from various individuals and organisations, including organisations of and for disabled people.
As a result of these consultation exercises, we have announced and implemented changes in some areas and
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we are considering other ways to improve our provision. For example, the ES is introducing placing assessment and counselling teams (PACTs) during 1992. PACTs will take on all the present functions of disablement resettlement officers, the disablement advisory service and the assessment functions of the employment rehabilitation service. These new teams will provide a more integrated service to both employers and disabled individuals.Ministers consult regularly with the National Advisory Council on Employment of People with Disabilities on plans and performance nationally and on local matters with committees for the employment of people with disabilities. When reconstituting the Department's advisory bodies care has been taken to include in them individuals with knowledge of the needs of people with disabilities, some of whom are members of disability organisations.
In considering, planning and implementing improvements to employment services for people with disabilities the Department involves disability organisations as appropriate. For example, a number of interested organisations will be consulted on proposals arising from a recent review of funding for sheltered employment.
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps are being taken by her Department to improve the accessibility of mainstream employment services to people with disabilities.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Most people with disabilities who find work through our services do so using our mainstream services. These services are kept under review with the aim of ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities.
Since April 1991 people with disabilities have priority access to the main employment and training programmes--employment training, employment action, the job interview guarantee scheme, job clubs and the enterprise allowance scheme.
The Employment Service has issued guidance to mainstream personnel about their role in helping people with disabilities to find work. The new placing assessment and counselling teams and regional ability development centres will offer support and guidance to mainstream personnel, including help with training, in providing help for people with disabilities who do not require specialist help.
The Employment Service has issued to staff responsible for its premises guidance on improving access to jobcentres for people with disabilities which takes account of the latest standards in the building regulations.
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the audit of non-specialist programmes against the needs of people with disabilities was completed ; and if she will place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Department's consultative document "Employment and Training for People with Disabilities" referred to the Department's intention to audit new and established programmes and services to ensure that they meet the needs of clients with disabilities. Auditing is now under way but the process is continuous and so there will be no report on its completion.
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to evaluate the policy of using agencies for the assessment and rehabilitation of disabled people.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Employment Service regularly monitors the effectiveness and quality of provision within individual agencies with which it contracts to provide specialist employment assessment and rehabilitation. It is currently considering carrying out further research into the effectiveness of rehabilitation.
Health and Safety at Work Festival
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 5 June, Official Report, columns 645-46, if she will list the titles and originators of the videos chosen to represent the United Kingdom at the festival on safety, hygiene and health protection at work in Greece in October.
Mr. McLoughlin : A list of the titles and originators of the United Kingdom video entries to the European video film festival is not yet available from the European Commission.
The film festival was open to all health and safety videos made after 1989. Entries were made direct to the European Commission and there was no pre- selection or nomination process.
I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available and place a copy in the Library.
Nursery Facilities
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures her Department are taking to encourage industry to make nursery and creche facilities available for female employees.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Department consistently encourages employers to consider the possible advantages to them of supporting nursery and creche facilities which could benefit all employees with young children. The booklet, "The Best of Both Worlds", describes some initiatives which different employers have taken.
EC Social Affairs Ministers
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will state the purpose of the informal meeting of Social Affairs Ministers of the European Community scheduled to take place on 12 and 13 October ; when she expects to announce the agenda of that meeting ; and in what manner the results will be communicated to Parliament and the public.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The informal meeting will focus on means of making progress on major employment and social affairs issues facing the Community. The discussion is, for example, likely to be concerned with how best to promote employment growth in the member states, and with ensuring effective implementation and enforcement of existing EC legislation across the Community. I shall arrange for the House to be informed of the main outcomes.
Building Trade
Ms. Eagle : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many full apprenticeships in the building trade were begun in the north-west in each of the last five years and in 1981, 1971 and 1961.
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Mr. McLoughlin : Information is not collected by the Department in the form requested. However, the labour force survey for the years 1987 to 1991 indicates that the numbers in the north-west of those continuing a construction trade apprenticeship were as follows :
|Numbers
------------------------------------------------
1987 |<1>under 10,000
1988 |<1>under 10,000
1989 |11,002
1990 |11,226
1991 |10,344
<1>Estimates for 10,000 people or fewer (after
grossing up) are not shown, since they are
likely to be based on small samples and
therefore unreliable. This is in line with
current practice for labour force survey based
analyses.
Jobseekers Charter
Mr. Thomason : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the working of the jobseekers charter.
Mr. McLoughlin : Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.
Advisory Committees
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the advisory committees and their memberships which advise her on matters relating to the European Community ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment consults widely on all proposals for EC legislation and other significant Community instruments. She particularly values the comments of advisory committees whose responsibilities cover matters which are the subject of the EC proposal in question. My right hon. Friend is advised by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) on matters relating to health and safety at work, including proposed EC legislation in this area. HSC's advice follows consultation with its relevant consultative committees. The members of the Health and Safety Commission are :
Sir John Cullen (Chairman)
Councillor Eddie Carrick
Mr. Paul Gallagher
Mr. Peter Jacques CBE
Mr. John C. Marvin
Mr. Nigel J. Pitcher
Councillor Dr. Colin Shannon CBE
Mr. Rex H. M. Symons
Mr. Alan Tuffin
Dame Rachel Waterhouse
Civil Servants,
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many civil servants in her Department are paid at a rate exceeding that of a Cabinet Minister.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The total salary, including reduced parliamentary salary, of most Cabinet Ministers is £63,047. The number of civil servants in the Department of Employment group whose pay currently exceeds this figure is three.
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The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission, the chairman of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service and the President of the Central Office of the Industrial Tribunals, Scotland are also paid more than a Cabinet Minister but are not civil servants.Wages Councils
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the future of the wages councils as they affect Wales.
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