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Mr. Aitken : No. However, we will continue to follow developments on the project.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the United Kingdom's requirement for a replacement maritime patrol aircraft.
Mr. Aitken : My Department intends shortly to issue a request to industry for information, on possible means of upgrading the maritime patrol capability currently provided by the Nimrod MR2 aircraft. This will allow the identification of possible enhancements to, or replacements for, the present aircraft and their systems around the turn of the century. The responses to this request will enable my Department to assess possible solutions and establish which offers best value for money in meeting the requirement.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the need for the United Kingdom to acquire a replacement for the Hercules aircraft.
Mr. Aitken : My Department is currently assessing the need for a replacement for the Hercules aircraft against our future air transport requirements. It is out intention to procure any such replacement aircraft off-the-shelf.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the prospects for the European future large aircraft project following recent progress on the European fighter aircraft project.
Mr. Aitken : As my Department is not participating in the European future large aircraft project, we have made no assessment of its prospects following progress on EFA. We will, however, follow any developments.
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EMPLOYMENT
Health and Safety Executive
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the number of (a) agricultural inspectors and (b) factory inspectors in the HSE area offices in (i) London and the south-east and (ii) the midlands region in each year since 1978.
Mr. McLoughlin : (a) The information available for Health and Safety Executive (HSE) agricultural inspectors is as follows :
|(i) London and |(ii) Midlands region
|south-east region
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |10 |31
1986 |8 |34
1987 |9 |31
1988 |10 |30
1989 |9 |31
1990 |11 |30
1991 |10 |27
1992 |10 |30
Note: Figures are for 1 April each year and show full-time equivalent staff.
Comparable figures are not available for earlier years by these regions because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.
(b) The number of factory inspectors employed by HSE in (i) London and the south-east and (ii) the midlands region in each year since 1978 was :
Year |(i) London and South|(ii) Midlands region
|East region
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978 |98.0 |122.0
1979 |108.0 |124.0
1980 |110.0 |132.0
1981 |111.0 |127.0
1982 |105.0 |118.0
1983 |99.0 |109.0
1984 |91.0 |103.0
1985 |100.0 |106.0
1986 |94.0 |105.5
1987 |94.5 |104.5
1988 |96.0 |101.5
1989 |96.0 |103.5
1990 |93.0 |116.0
1991 |95.0 |120.5
1992 |99.0 |132.5
Note: Figures are for 1 April each year and show full-time equivalent staff.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the number of (a) nurses and (b) doctors employed in the HSE area offices in the (i) London and south-east and (ii) midlands regions, in each year since 1978.
Mr. McLoughlin : (a) The information available for nurses employed by the Health and Safety Executive in (i) London and the south-east and (ii) the midlands is as follows :
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|(i) London and South|(ii) Midlands region
|East region
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |4 |8
1986 |4 |8
1987 |5 |8
1988 |5 |9
1989 |6 |8
1990 |5 |9
1991 |6 |8
1992 |7 |9
Note: Figures are for 1 April each year and show full-time equivalent staff.
Comparable figures are not available for earlier years by these regions because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.
(b) The information available for doctors employed by the Health and Safety Executive in (i) London and the south-east and (ii) the midlands is :
|(i) London and the |(ii) Midlands region
|South East region
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |10.0 |12.0
1986 |10.0 |10.5
1987 |6.5 |10.5
1988 |4.5 |10.0
1989 |4.5 |8.0
1990 |4.0 |9.0
1991 |3.5 |8.0
1992 |6.5 |10.0
Note: Figures are for 1 April each year and show full-time equivalent staff.
Comparable figures are not available for earlier years by these regions because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the number of (a) agricultural inspectors, (b) factory inspectors, (c) doctors and (d) nurses in the Health and Safety Executive area offices in the north-west region in each year since 1978.
Mr. McLoughlin : (a) The available information for Health and Safety Executive (HSE) agricultural inspectors in the north-west region is as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1985 |12
1986 |13
1987 |13
1988 |10
1989 |12
1990 |14
1991 |14
1992 |17
Note: Figures are
for 1 April each
year and show
full-time equivalent
staff.
Comparable figures are not available for earlier years by this region because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.
(b) The number of factory inspectors employed by HSE in the north-west region in each year since 1978 was :
Column 724
|Number
---------------------
1978 |92
1979 |97
1980 |90
1981 |93
1982 |87
1983 |85
1984 |83
1985 |85.5
1986 |78.5
1987 |78.5
1988 |74.5
1989 |80
1990 |83.5
1991 |82.5
1992 |79.5
Note: Figures are
for 1 April each
year and show
full-time equivalent
staff.
(c) The information available for HSE doctors in the north-west region is as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1985 |10
1986 |8
1987 |9
1988 |7
1989 |7
1990 |5
1991 |7
1992 |7.5
Note: Figures are
for 1 April each
year and show
full-time equivalent
staff.
Comparable figures are not available for earlier years by this region because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.
(d) The information available for HSE nurses in the north-west region is as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1985 |7
1986 |7
1987 |7
1988 |7
1989 |7
1990 |6
1991 |7
1992 |8
Note: Figures are
for 1 April each
year and show
full-time equivalent
staff.
Comparable figures are not available for earlier years by this region because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the number of (a) factory inspectors, (b) agricultural inspectors, (c) doctors and (d) nurses in the Health and Safety Executive area offices in the Yorkshire and north-east region in each year since 1978.
Mr. McLoughlin : (a) The number of factory inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the Yorkshire and north-east region in each year since 1978 was :
Column 725
|Number
---------------------
1978 |101.0
1979 |104.0
1980 |108.0
1981 |103.0
1982 |90.0
1983 |92.5
1984 |88.0
1985 |91.0
1986 |88.0
1987 |86.5
1988 |79.5
1989 |84.5
1990 |90.5
1991 |92.5
1992 |89.5
Note:Figures are for
1 April each year
and show full-time
equivalent staff.
(b) The information available for Health and Safety Executive agricultural inspectors in the Yorkshire and north-east region is as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1985 |18
1986 |17
1987 |18
1988 |14
1989 |16
1990 |19
1991 |22
1992 |18
Note: Figures are
for 1 April each
year and show
full-time equivalent
staff.
Comparable figures are not available by these regions for earlier years because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.
(c) The information available for Health and Safety Executive doctors in the Yorkshire and north-east region is as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1985 |9.0
1986 |9.5
1987 |7.0
1988 |6.0
1989 |6.5
1990 |8.5
1991 |7.5
1992 |8.5
Note: Figures are
for 1 April each
year and show
full-time equivalent
staff.
Comparable figures are not available by these regions for earlier years because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.
(d) The information available for HSE nurses in the Yorkshire and north- east region is :
|Number
---------------------
1985 |10
1986 |12
1987 |10
1988 |10
1989 |10
1990 |9
1991 |9
1992 |8
Note: Figures are
for 1 April each
year and show
full-time equivalent
staff.
Column 726
Comparable figures are not available by this region for earlier years because of changes in the basis of compiling staffing statistics for the occupational group.Mr. A. J. Linehan
Mr. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps were taken under the civil service rules relating to business appointments in connection with approval of the recruitment of Mr. A. J. Linehan by Higgs and Hill Safety Consultants.
Mr. McLoughlin : Mr. Linehan did not apply to the executive under the normal civil service rules prior to this appointment as a non-executive director of Hinton and Higgs and the executive is in correspondence with him on the matter.
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cost of ACAS during each year since its creation ; and what is the expected cost in (a) 1992 and (b) 1993.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information requested is set out in the following table :
|Cost £ million<1>
---------------------------------------------------------
(a) Historical costs
<2>1974-75 |1.3
1975-76 |3.4
1976-77 |8.0
1977-78 |8.6
1978-79 |9.4
1979-80 |10.6
1980-81 |11.8
1981-82 |10.7
1982-83 |11.7
1983-84 |12.3
1984-85 |12.6
1985-86 |13.1
1986-87 |14.4
1987-88 |15.2
1988-89 |15.9
1989-90 |16.5
1990-91 |17.7
1991-92 |19.5
(b) Estimated costs:
1992-93 |21.7
<1>Total net costs of ACAS. Figures do not include the
costs of the Certification Officer or of the Central
Arbitration Committee.
<2>2 September 1974 to 31 March 1975.
Figures for 1993-94 will be published in the Government's expenditure plans (Employment Department Group Report) early next year.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many conciliation officers have been employed by ACAS during each year since its creation ; how many it employs now ; and how many it expects to employ in 1993.
Mr. McLoughlin : I am told by the chairman of ACAS that all higher executive officers (HEOs) employed by the service in its regional organisation are nominated as
Column 727
conciliation officers under section 211(1) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, although not all are employed full-time on conciliation work. Records of the total number of HEOs employed are not available before 1983.
Year |Number of HEOs on
|operational work
------------------------------------------------------
1983 |221
1984 |216
1985 |203
1986 |204
1987 |200
1988 |190
1989 |184
1990 |185
1991 |181
1992 |191
The figures given are calculated on the average number of HEOs in post over the first half of the calendar year in question. This year it is estimated that 92 per cent. of all HEO operational time is being employed on conciliation. This proportion is expected to be higher in 1993.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how the role of ACAS has changed since its foundation ; and what further changes are proposed.
Mr. McLoughlin : Since its creation as an independent statutory body, by the Employment Protection Act 1975, there have been three main changes to the statutory role of ACAS. First, the provisions in the 1975 Act relating to ACAS's role in the determination of claims for trade union recognition were repealed by the Employment Act 1980. Secondly, ACAS's role in undertaking inquiries into questions concerning Wages Councils was ended by the Wages Act 1986. Thirdly, ACAS's role in seeking to promote the settlement of complaints without them having to be determined by an industrial tribunal has been extended by a variety of enactments.
As to the future, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 1 December, Official Report , columns 132-33 , to my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick). If there are to be any further changes, they will be made after consultation with the ACAS Council.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of ACAS conciliation officers have portable telephones and word processors ; and what plans there are to increase these provisions.
Mr. McLoughlin : I am told by the chairman of ACAS that no portable telephones are in use by conciliation officers. Most conciliation officers have access to personal computers. Replacement of the service's current computing systems is scheduled for 1993.
Training
Mr. Pope : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people resident in the Hyndburn constituency are engaged on employment training and employment action ; and what proportion they represent of the total number of eligible people.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information requested is not available. Information on the number of participants on
Column 728
employment training and employment action is not collected centrally below training and enterprise council level.Pools Industry
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are employed in the pools industry.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information requested is included in the estimates for sport and other recreational services, which do not separately identify the pools industry.
In June 1992 (the latest date for which information is available) there were 343,000 employees in employment in sport and other recreational services in Great Britain.
Vocational Training
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make it her policy to establish United Kingdom wide minimum standards for the provision of vocational training, including (a) maximum numbers of hours that trainees are allowed to work, (b) the proportion of time to be spent on off-the-job training, (c) the proportion of time to be spent on placement, (d) break entitlements, (e) holiday entitlement, (f) other paid or unpaid leave and (g) grievance and disciplinary procedures.
Mr. McLoughlin : We have no plans to do so.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidelines have been produced by her Department to training and enterprise councils concerning the inclusion of statements relating to (a) the quality of the training provision and (b) equal opportunity statements within their operating agreements.
Mr. McLoughlin : Relations between training and enterprise councils and the Employment Department are governed by the TEC operating agreement. Under this agreement TECs are required to :
Contract only with training providers that obtain and maintain approved training organisation status under criteria published by the Secretary of State or under criteria that are agreed to be at least equivalent ; and to use all reasonable endeavours to ensure equality of opportunity in respect of all their activities and to pass on this obligation to their training providers.
Each year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State produces strategic guidance to support TECs in developing their plans. This sets out the strategic priorities that underpin the operating agreement. These cover help for those at a disadvantage in the labour market and the provision of high quality training.
In addition, TECs have access to "Developing Good Practice" briefs on equal opportunities, managing quality and a wide range of other subjects.
PA Consulting Group
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been paid to PA Consulting Group in respect of contracts undertaken to (a) establish the feasibility of privatising the electrical equipment certification service and (b) undertake a pay and grading review for the Health and Safety Executive.
Column 729
Mr. McLoughlin : The Health and Safety Executive paid PA Consulting Group £87,400 in the financial year 1991-92 for a study of the future status of the electrical equipment certification service. The Health and Safety Executive appointed PA Consulting Group in March 1992 to assist in a review of pay and grading arrangements. A total of £79,400 has been paid to date.
Both contracts were awarded following competitive tendering exercises.
Hazard Ratings
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how occupational health factors are taken into account in determining the Health and Safety Executive's hazard rating system for the inspection of premises.
Mr. McLoughlin : When determining current health performance at inspection visits, to enable them to determine or review the inspection rating calculated, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive's field operations division (FOD) take into account the action taken by employers, owners and the self employed to both identify risks to health and to prevent or control the risk so far as is reasonably practicable.
Field operations division is currently looking at new approaches to stimulate systematic collection of information on health risks further to refine the targeting of inspection visits planned on the basis of the rating system.
Employment Service
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress the Employment Service has made in the latest quarter in meeting targets outlined in the 1992-93 agency agreement ; and if she will show for the latest possible date (a) the total unemployed job placings against profiled target, (b) the long-term unemployed job placings, (c) people with disabilities job placings, (d) inner-city job placings, (e) the employment training referral to the start ratio, (f) the number of new claims not pursued following initial contact and (g) the number of people who withdrew their claim to benefit after contact with fraud investigators.
Mr. McLoughlin : I am informed by the chief executive of the Employment Service that in the period April to September 1992, the Employment Service placed a total of 729,000 unemployed people into jobs, against an annual target of 1.425 million. 24.3 per cent. of these placings were long-term claimants, 2.8 per cent. were people with disabilities and 34 per cent. were unemployed people in inner cities against annual targets of 19 per cent., 2.5 per cent. and 36 per cent. respectively. Over the same period the employment training/employment action referral to start ratio was 2.8 : 1 against an annual target of 2.5 : 1. New claims not pursued following initial contact were at the annual target level of 10 per cent. The number of people who withdrew their claim to benefit after contact with fraud investigators was 35,000 against an annual target of 58, 000.
Column 730
Unemployment
Mr. Pope : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of those unemployed in the Accrington and Rossendale travel-to- work area have been out of work for more than 12 months.
Mr. McLoughlin : Unemployment figures by duration are available only on a quarterly basis. In October 1992, the latest date for which figures are available, 25.1 per cent. of unemployed people in the Accrington and Rossendale travel-to-work-area had been unemployed for over 12 months.
Mr. Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list by county the number and percentage of long-term unemployed for each year since 1984 ; and if she will indicate the percentage increase or decrease for each county.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information requested can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.
Mr. Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the areas of the south-east region which are considered as long- term unemployment black spots ; and what actions she proposes to take to help these areas.
Mr. McLoughlin : It is departmental policy to target assistance for the long term unemployed at individual people. In November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that next year help on Government employment and training programmes for unemployed people is being increased by nearly £500,000 to almost £1.5 million. New jobplan workshops will offer guidance and assessment for 300,000 people unemployed for a year or more.
The successful job club and job interview guarantee schemes, including work trials, will both be expanded to provide an additional 180,000 places. Training for work will give training and enterprise councils greater flexibility to provide over 300,000 adults with opportunities to improve, update and learn new skills, or do work of benefit to the local community.
Job Clubs
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job clubs were operational in each region and for Great Britain as a whole at the latest available date and for each year since 1987 ; how many of them in each region catered for groups with special needs ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from J. Cooper to Ms. Clare Short, dated 9 December 1992 :
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, it is the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the Agency's Chief Executive to answer Parliamentary Questions about relevant operational matters. In his absence, I am replying to your question about the number of Jobclubs operational since 1987.
Table A' attached shows the number of Jobclubs at the end of each operational year (end March) from 1986-87. The
Column 731
number of Jobclubs at the end of 1986-87 is only available as a national total, but regional breakdowns are shown for subsequent years. The most recent figures (October 1992), are also given. Table B' shows the number of standard and specialist Jobclubs by region and nationally at the end of March 1992. Although specialist Jobclubs were introduced as pilots in previous years, this was the first year for which separate statistics were recorded. The most recent figures (September 1992), are also given.All Jobclubs help people who face particular difficulties in the labour market and most will have members who either have some degree of literacy or language problem, have a disability or have been in prison. Similarly, all Jobclubs are open to executives and managers. In response to the rise in unemployment at executive levels we have been opening some Jobclubs which focus particularly on that client group, though the activities and operations are very similar to the standard provision.
For ex-offenders and people with disabilities, our policy is to integrate them into our standard provision wherever possible. The existence of a very small number of Jobclubs
Column 732
targeted specifically at such clients is aimed at developing our expertise which can help improve provision over the whole network. Supportive Jobclubs provide additional help to people with more severe problems who cannot cope in the standard provision. They are proving a useful way of extending the range of people Jobclubs can help, especially in terms of literacy or language, or people with a severe lack of confidence who have been unemployed for a long time. In her statement to the House on 12 November 1992, the Secretary of State indicated, amongst other things, that there will be a further expansion of Jobclubs in 1993- 94. We expect to target part of the expansion towards supportive Jobclubs. An evaluation of this provision is nearing completion and we shall want to consider the findings before deciding on the balance between the standard and supportive approaches.I hope this is helpful.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Column 731
|c|Table A|c|
|c|Number of jobclubs by region|c|
|Northern |Yorkshire and |East Midlands |London and South|South West |Wales |West Midlands |North West |Scotland |National
|Humberside |East
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 1987 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |390
March 1988 |90 |102 |111 |265 |75 |75 |144 |200 |142 |1,204
March 1989 |95 |96 |111 |263 |77 |74 |146 |208 |140 |1,210
March 1990 |78 |91 |90 |229 |57 |62 |108 |165 |130 |1,010
March 1991 |76 |84 |80 |209 |57 |59 |100 |155 |123 |943
March 1992 |100 |105 |118 |317 |77 |68 |144 |196 |138 |1,263
October 1992 |100 |106 |110 |317 |85 |75 |143 |193 |139 |1,268
Column 731
|c|Table B|c|
|c|Number of specialist jobclubs by region|c|
|Northern |Yorkshire and |East Midlands |London and South|South West |Wales |West Midlands |North West |Scotland |National
|Humberside |East
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 1992
Standard |89 |86 |86 |236 |62 |65 |118 |171 |120 |1,033
Supportive |3 |11 |14 |36 |3 |1 |12 |10 |9 |99
Executive |5 |4 |16 |37 |11 |2 |9 |12 |9 |105
People with disabilities |1 |1 |1 |3 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |8
Ex offenders |2 |3 |1 |5 |1 |0 |3 |3 |0 |18
September 1992
Standard |88 |85 |86 |242 |67 |67 |118 |165 |118 |1,036
Supportive |3 |13 |9 |35 |3 |1 |8 |9 |11 |92
Executive |7 |5 |16 |38 |13 |7 |9 |15 |9 |119
People with disabilities |1 |1 |1 |4 |1 |0 |3 |0 |0 |11
Ex offenders |1 |2 |1 |5 |1 |0 |3 |4 |0 |17
Market Testing
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment to which of those of her Department's activities due to be market-tested by 30 September 1993 the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and the EC Acquired Rights Directive 77/189/EEC will apply.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Whether or not the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and the EC Acquired Rights Directive 77/189/EEC will apply to an individual case depends on the facts of the
Column 732
case ; and there are a number of tests to be applied. For example, it needs to be shown that an undertaking or part of an undertaking is actually being transferred.Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a timetable showing when he plans to market-test those activities listed for testing before 30 September 1993.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The citizens charter White Paper, "The Citizen's Charter : First Report 1992" (Cm. 2101), shows the main activities which are included in the Employment Department market-testing programme up to 30 September 1993.
Planning is well under way.
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