Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 158
A Questionnaire Survey of Training Needs in Employment Department Estates Branch (Report No. 403 December 1991).An Evaluation of the training which equips newly appointed Adjudication Officers to deal with Doubtful claims to unemployment benefit (Reports No. 411 January 1992).
Exist Interviews with Psychologists (Report No. 404 January 1992). Job Interview Guarantee : An evolving Placement Programme (Report No. 408 March 1992).
Do Prison Linked Jobclubs work and evaluation for initiatives at Pentonville and Holloway.
PDCA in West Midlands--Evaluation Report (Report No. 409 March 1992).
How Users assess the reception, post, messenger and typing services provided at 236 Grays Inn Road (Report No. 410 March 1992). Participant Observation of 3 day Occupational Assessment workshops for unemployed people in the North East Region (Report No. 412 May 1992).
Outcomes for the first Employment Department Head Office PDPLINK programme (September 1991 to May 1992) : A project-based approach to personal development using external placements (Report No. 413 July 1992).
How participants and tutors rated the December 1991 SEO to Grade 7 Manager Development workshop (Report No. 141 April 1992). End of programme evaluation of the first "Executive Stretch" : A personal development option for senior managers (Report No. 415 June 1992).
Referrals to Sheltered Employment (Report No. 416 September 1992). Evaluating the Impact of the ES Stress Pack (Report No. 399 September 1992).
Is there a gap in provision for people with special needs (Report No. 406/R September 1992).
How People in the Employment Service view Travel and Subsistence, Development and Pay Issues (Report No. 417 October 1992). Training Disability Employment Advisors in assessing individual clients with the aid of psychological tests : An early evaluation of Enhanced Assessment Training (Report No. 418 October 1992). Improving the usability of information systems a briefing for systems developers (Report No. 400).
Adjudication
Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions for Quarter ending 31 December 1991.
Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions for Quarter ending 31 March 1992.
Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions for Year ending 31 March 1992.
Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions for Quarter ending 30 June 1992.
Personnel related
Article on "Promotion Through Vacancy Advertising" (PVA) appeared in the Spring edition of "Equality Network".
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many full-time employees in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each standard planning region are not covered by the right to appeal against unfair dismissal.
Mr. McLoughlin : I regret that the information is not available as there is no statutory definition of what constitutes full-time employment for the purposes of unfair dismissal.
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many part-time employees in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each standard planning region are not covered by the right to appeal against unfair dismissal.
Column 159
Mr. McLoughlin : I regret that the information is not available as there is no statutory definition of what constitutes part-time employment for the purposes of unfair dismissal.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in each region and for Great Britain as a whole are (a) currently on a course which has been supported by a career development loan, (b) have obtained jobs at the end of their period of study supported by a career development loan, (c) are repaying a career development loan and (d) have had to defer repayments on their career development loan because of hardship, what is the average amount of loan taken out ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The table sets out for each English region, Scotland and Wales, information on the number of people currently in trained supported by a career development loan (CDL) and the number of people currently repaying a loan. Information on number of trainees in work following training is obtained from a sample number of trainees. On the basis of the sample, 74 per cent. of trainees supported by a CDL find work following training. No information is held on the number of trainees who have had to defer repayment of loans due to hardship. At the end of October 1992, the average loan amount for loans taken out in the current financial year was £2,745.
Column 160
English regions |Number currently in|Number currently |training |repaying loans -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South East |1,258 |2,805 Greater London |1,111 |2,692 East Anglia |224 |531 South West |616 |1,318 West Midlands |403 |1,060 East Midlands |308 |743 Yorkshire |454 |1,243 North West |369 |1,354 Northern |230 |757 Wales |219 |460 Scotland |534 |1,478 |------ |------ Great Britain |5,726 |14,441
Mr. Don Foster : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of youth training allowance, or equivalent, for 16 and 17- year-olds for every year between 1978-79 and 1993-94 (a) in cash prices and (b) at 1978-79 prices.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 7 December 1992] : Information about actual allowance levels is not available. The following tables show minimum allowance levels ; providers of youth training can pay more.
Column 159
Youth Training Scheme (YTS)/Youth training (YT) minimum allowance levels ( £) |1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minimum allowance YT/YTS<1> |29.50 |29.50 |29.50 |29.50 |29.50 At 1978-79<3> price level |13.43 |12.60 |11.67 |10.92 |10.47 Minimum allowance YT/YTS<2> |35.00 |35.00 |35.00 |35.00 |35.00 At 1978-79<3> price level |15.93 |14.95 |13.85 |12.95 |12.42 <1> Minimum level of allowance payable to first-year trainees until 29 May 1990. Payable to 16-year-old trainees thereafter. <2> Minimum level of allowance payable to second-year trainees until 29 May 1990. Payable to trainees aged 17 and above thereafter. This rate of allowance was introduced in April 1986 to coincide with the transition of YTS from a one year to a two-year training programme. <3> 1978-79 price levels obtained by application of appropriate GDP deflator index. Note: The youth training scheme (YTS) was replaced by youth training (YT) on 29 May 1990.
Column 159
Youth Training Scheme (YTS)/Youth training (YT) minimum allowance levels ( £) |1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minimum allowance YT/YTS<1> |29.50 |29.50 |29.50 |29.50 |29.50 At 1978-79<3> price level |13.43 |12.60 |11.67 |10.92 |10.47 Minimum allowance YT/YTS<2> |35.00 |35.00 |35.00 |35.00 |35.00 At 1978-79<3> price level |15.93 |14.95 |13.85 |12.95 |12.42 <1> Minimum level of allowance payable to first-year trainees until 29 May 1990. Payable to 16-year-old trainees thereafter. <2> Minimum level of allowance payable to second-year trainees until 29 May 1990. Payable to trainees aged 17 and above thereafter. This rate of allowance was introduced in April 1986 to coincide with the transition of YTS from a one year to a two-year training programme. <3> 1978-79 price levels obtained by application of appropriate GDP deflator index. Note: The youth training scheme (YTS) was replaced by youth training (YT) on 29 May 1990.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if she will tighten up the travel-to-interview scheme in order to provide early payments to claimants ; and if she will make a statement about the inception and operation of the scheme including take-up in the last 12 months ;
Column 160
(2) if she will amend the travel-to- interview scheme to enable applicants to claim for losses incurred in attending a second interview ; 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.
Column 161
Letter from J. Cooper to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 15 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 questions about the Travel to Interview Scheme (TIS).
TIS was introduced in 1986 to help with travel costs for unemployed people to attend job interviews beyond daily travelling distance of their home area, thus widening the applicant's jobsearch, improving their chances of obtaining work and encouraging labour mobility. From October 1991 to September 1992 the scheme helped 38,000 applicants. A few basic conditions must be met before assistance can be granted, to ensure that the limited funds available are concentrated on those unemployed people in most need.
Assistance is normally given to clients in the form of a British Rail travel warrant, which they receive before attending the interview. Where clients choose to travel by car or are entitled to help with overnight subsistence costs they are reimbursed on their return from the interview. Payment is usually made in cash by our local Jobcentre or, if the amount to be reimbursed is quite large, then a girocheque will be sent to the client from our Regional Finance Offices. The Finance Office in Cardiff have a target of repayment within seven days and I am pleased to say that in almost all cases payment is made within five.
You have asked about amending TIS to help applicants with assistance for second interviews. Whilst we realise it would be popular with jobseekers if help was available to cover the cost of repeat interviews, it could in practice be very costly. It may, for example, lead to the available funds having to be concentrated on a smaller number of people. We therefore limit the assistance to one interview per job. Where the selection process is a lengthy one we have to rely on the employer being sensitive to costs likely to fall on the applicant and offer help towards them.
You may like to know that the scheme is currently under review and the eligibility conditions are being looked at to see whether, within the limited resources, there are ways of helping more people. The possibility of helping with second interviews is included in the review. As you will appreciate the recommendations for a change in the eligibility rules of the scheme are subject to Ministerial and Treasury approval. I hope that the decisions on this issue will be taken in the very near future.
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.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the application of articles 7 and 48 of the treaty of Rome, as amended, to the employment of professional footballers.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 14 December 1992] : It is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that articles 7 and 48 of the treaty of Rome, as amended, apply to the employment of all nationals of the European Community working in the United Kingdom, including professional footballers.
Column 162
Mrs. Jane Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people aged 16 and 17 years in the Liverpool travel-to-work area are not in employment, not on a youth training scheme and not in full-time education.
Mr. McLoughlin : In October 1992 there were 297 unemployed claimants aged 16 and 17 years in the Liverpool travel-to-work area. Changes to the benefit regulations in September 1988 coincided with the extention of a guaranteed YTS (now YT) place to all those aged under 18 not in full-time education or employment, which meant that those who declined an offer of a YTS place were no longer entitled to benefit. However, there are still a small number of under 18-year-olds entitled to benefit due to special circumstances, such as severe hardship or by virtue of their being orphans.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was (a) her Department's budget expressed in 1987-88 prices, (b) the average number of unemployed people and (c) a figure for (a) divided by (b) for each year since 1987-88.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The figures requested are as follows :
|(a) |(b) |(a)/(b) Year |Department's budget|Average number of |(£s) |(£ million) |unemployed people |(Great Britain) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1987-88 |3,903 |2,674,858 |1,459 1988-89 |3,592 |2,142,008 |1,677 1989-90 |3,307 |1,702,250 |1,943 1990-91 |3,041 |1,757,266 |1,730 1991-92 |2,756 |2,448,791 |1,125 (i) Figures for years to 1989-90 include a public corporation the National Dock Labour Board. (ii) The 1991-92 figures exclude the amounts transferred to the Scottish Office (mainly for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise) which is responsible for delivering the main training and enterprise programmes in Scotland.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful prosecutions took place in each of the last five years as a result of investigations into deaths and serious injuries on construction sites in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many deaths and serious injuries have occurred on construction sites in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole in each of the past five years.
Mr. McLoughlin : The numbers of deaths and major injuries occurring in the construction industry in Strathclyde and Scotland in the past five years are provided in the table.
Column 163
Occupational injuries occurring in the construction industry<1> as reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates and local authorities, 1986-87 to 1991-92<6> Fatal injuries Major injuries<3> Year<2> |Employees |Self employed |Members of public<4>|Employees |Self employed |Members of public<4> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (a) Strathclyde 1987-88 |7 |- |1 |180 |9 |4 1988-89 |10 |1 |3 |170 |8 |8 1989-90 |5 |1 |2 |159 |17 |4 1990-91<5> |5 |1 |1 |154 |17 |7 1991-92<5><6> |4 |- |- |162 |8 |5 (b) Scotland 1987-88 |13 |1 |2 |396 |16 |11 1988-89 |19 |1 |4 |355 |17 |23 1989-90 |15 |3 |2 |383 |37 |11 1990-91<5> |12 |3 |1 |347 |40 |18 1991-92<5><6> |8 |- |1 |399 |45 |21 <1> As defined by Standard Industrial Classification 1980 Division 5 <2> Year commencing 1 April <3> As defined under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 <4> Injured as a result of someone else's work activity <5> Includes reports made to HSE's quarries inspectorate <6> provisional
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many investigations were undertaken into deaths and serious injuries on construction sites in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole in each of the last five years by (i) the Health and Safety Executive and (ii) the respective police forces.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information is not readily available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The available information is given in the following table.
Number of accidents and dangerous occurrences on construction sites which were investigated by Health and Safety Executive inspectors in Scotland 1987-88 to 1991-92<1> Year<2> |Total --------------------------- 1987-88 |189 1988-89 |188 1989-90 |223 1990-91 |190 <1>1991-92 |200 <1> Provisional. <2> Years commencing 1 April.
Questions about the work of police forces are for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the foul sewerage system for the additional homes proposed at the Lough Shore, Greyabbey, planning application No. 0772.
Mr. Atkins : The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has not yet concluded the assessment of the adequacy of its foul sewerage system to serve the proposed construction of 53 houses on land adjacent to Islandview road, Greyabbey.
Column 164
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration has been given to encouraging electricity generation from non -fossil fuel sources in Northern Ireland ; and if he will make a statement regarding the future application of the non-fossil fuel obligation to Northern Ireland.
Mr. Atkins : The Department of Economic Development and NIE plc have jointly commissioned a study into the potential for renewable energy in Northern Ireland and plan to publish its findings next spring. No decisions on a non-fossil fuel obligation for Northern Ireland can be made until then.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff are employed by the Community Relations Council ; and how many are (a) Roman Catholics and (b) Protestants.
Mr. Hanley : The Community Relations Council employs 16 staff, eight of whom are Roman Catholics and eight Protestant.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many interim payments of £10,000 or more have been issued by the Compensation Agency to householders whose homes were damaged by the IRA bomb at Newtownbreda on 23 September.
Mr. Mates : Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Compensation Agency under its chief executive, Mr. J. Robinson.
I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from J. Robinson to Mr. John D. Taylor, dated 14 December 1992 :
I refer to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the criminal damage resulting from the bombing of the Forensic Science Laboratory at Newtownbreda on 23 September. The Secretary of State has asked me to respond.
In the case of householders a total of 111 claims are valued at £10,000 or more and 64 interim payments of various
Column 165
amounts have been made. Three have been for more than £10,000. In addition four offers of settlement over £10,000 have been made. I hope this is helpful.Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking to ensure that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive introduces an effective new build and improvements to purpose- built stock programme following the publication of the annual housing statistic report ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : Following the announcement on 8 December of its public expenditure allocation the Housing Executive will prepare its 1993-94 budget for approval by Government. I am confident that this budget will provide for the continuation of effective new build and IPBS programmes.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he will take to ensure that secondary school students from Northern Ireland can continue to undertake examinations set by examining boards in England and Wales at both GCSE and A-level ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : There is no change to the arrangements whereby NI schools may choose A-level syllabuses offered by examining boards in England and Wales.
At GCSE, pupils commencing courses in key stage 4 in September 1993 in English, mathematics and science, business studies, drama and home economics must follow the statutory programmes of study in those subjects and the Department of Education will approve only those GCSE syllabuses which confirm to the programmes of study. The Department invited examining boards in England and Wales to submit syllabuses for approval, in these subjects, but none has done so for courses commencing in September 1993, although interest has been expressed in offering syllabuses for approval for 1994. Schools may offer GCSE syllabuses in all other subjects set by examining boards in England and Wales for courses commencing in September 1993.
Dr. Hendron : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many home helps have been employed in west Belfast during each of the last five years.
Mr. Hanley : The information is not available in the form requested. The number of home helps employed in the North and West Belfast community unit of management of the Eastern health and social services board at 30 September of each of the last five years was as follows :
Year |Number of home helps|Whole-time |equivalents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1988 |1,519 |477.87 1989 |1,392 |440.54 1990 |1,343 |404.86 1991 |1,142 |389.58 1992 |1,039 |346.26
Column 166
Dr. Hendron : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many home helps are currently employed throughout west, east, north and south Belfast.
Mr. Hanley : The information is not available in the form requested. The number of home helps employed in the North and West Belfast, and South and East Belfast community units of management at 30 September 1992, the latest date for which information is available, was as follows :
Community unit of |Number of home helps|Whole-time management |equivalents ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- North and West Belfast community unit |1,039 |346.26 South and East Belfast community unit |1,429 |315.68
Dr. Hendron : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many single parents are claiming social security benefit in (a) west Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from A. Wylie to Dr. Joe Hendron, dated 11 December 1992 :
As I am responsible for Social Security operational matters your recent Parliamentary Question on the number of single parents claiming social security benefit has been passed to me for a reply. Information available on the number of single parents claiming social security benefit is as follows :
Other Benefits Information is not available for specific areas and the figures supplied are for Northern Ireland as a whole. Some single parents may be getting more than one of these benefits. Benefit |Numbers of lone |parents in receipt ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Family Credit |5,500 One Parent/Child Benefit |28,000 Widowed Mothers Allowance |2,500 Sickness and Invalidity Benefit |400
Other Benefits Information is not available for specific areas and the figures supplied are for Northern Ireland as a whole. Some single parents may be getting more than one of these benefits. Benefit |Numbers of lone |parents in receipt ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Family Credit |5,500 One Parent/Child Benefit |28,000 Widowed Mothers Allowance |2,500 Sickness and Invalidity Benefit |400
I hope you find this information helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report and copies will be placed in the Library.
Column 167
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the appointment of an independent assessor of military complaints procedures.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Mr. David Hewitt as independent assessor of military complaints procedures. Mr. Hewitt is a respected legal figure in Northern Ireland and will bring considerable experience to the post. The main role of the assessor will be to provide an independent audit of the operation of procedures for handling non-criminal complaints against HM forces. His terms of reference are set out in section 60 and schedule 6 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. This appointment reaffirms the Government's commitment to maintaining public confidence in the attainment of the high standards of behaviour required from the security forces. Mr. Hewitt will take up his duties early in the new year.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about race relations in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : Earlier this year, the Government, in responding to the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights second report on "Religious and Political Discrimination and Equality of Opportunity in Northern Ireland" (Cm 1107), indicated that they would bring forward in 1992 a consultative document to examine the scope for race legislation in Northern Ireland. This consultative document will be published later today. It will examine the need for and possible scope of legislation on race relations in Northern Ireland and the possible form and content of any such legislation. The consultative document also reviews a range of departmental policies and programmes which affect ethnic minority groups.
The document will also seek views about legislation to make discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities, services and premises on the ground of religious belief or political opinion unlawful.
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy that any reorganisation of Scottish local government should provide a structure to maintain the integrity of local rail services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 14 December 1992] : Regional and islands authorities are required to secure the provision of such passenger transport services as they consider appropriate where these are not being provided by the market and to formulate general policies as to the services they propose to secure. There are no plans at present to change this. The Government's consultation paper on local government reform invites views on the most appropriate arrangements for enabling the provision of public transport services in Scotland.
Column 168
Mr. Chisholme : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been given to Scottish Enterprise for after-school care provision by local enterprise councils.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 10 December 1992] : It is for Scottish Enterprise and local enterprise companies to deploy the funds available to them, subject only to the broad budget block structure set out in the Supply Estimates and to the rules on virement between budget blocks. However, I have written to the chairman of Scottish Enterprise and to local enterprise company chairmen indicating that they will be expected in 1993- 94 to support the piloting of after-school and holiday child care initiatives, in line with the Government's election manifesto commitment to introduce a new child care grant throughout Great Britain. The substantial increase in funding for the Scottish Enterprise network's enterprise activities for 1993-94 will clearly be very helpful in enabling the network to undertake this task.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage change in right-to-buy receipts he has assumed in setting out his planned provision for housing in 1993-94.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 11 December 1992] : Estimates of right-to-buy receipts in 1993-94 will be included in the provisional housing revenue account capital allocations to local authorities for 1993-94 when these are issued later this month.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what account he has taken of changes in housing stock between 1992-93 and 1993-94 in his planned provision for expenditure on council housing for 1993-94.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 11 December 1992] : The local authority housing stock in Scotland is expected to change from an estimated total of 695,655 dwellings at 30 September 1992 to an estimated total of 668,537 dwellings at 30 September 1993. These estimates, which have been agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, will be reflected in the calculation of housing support grant for 1993-94. The allocations to local authorities for capital investment in council housing in 1993-94 will also take account of these estimates.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what are the additions or reductions of each of the chemical constituents of water and their percentages to or from the existing supplies in the areas served by each of the water authorities in Scotland which are required in order to meet the new EC water standards ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (a) chemical constituent of water, (b) each water authority and (c) each supply point ;
(2) what changes to the chemical analysis of water are envisaged as a consequence of implementing new EC water standards compared with the existing chemical analysis employed by Scottish water authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Next Section
| Home Page |