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Mr. Nicholas Baker: The 1993 Budget statement resulted in a specific grant cash limit for 1994 95 for the Greater Manchester probation service of £18.9 million, 6.3 per cent. higher than for 1993 94. The 1994 Budget statement resulted in a specific grant cash limit for 1995 96 of £18.8 million, plus a further £0.9 million to support probation service partnerships with the independent sector previously funded separately by the Home Office.
It is for Greater Manchester probation service to decide how these resources are best used and to determine what specific changes within the service, including staffing levels, should be undertaken within the total expenditure limit implied by this level of grant support and within the terms and conditions of service of probation officers as determined by my right hon. and learned Friend.
Grant support should be sufficient to enable the Greater Manchester service to carry out its responsibilities in relation to the enforcement of national standards and working with victims. Approved hostels are separately funded by the Home Office; and no changes in hostel provision in the Greater Manchester area are planned as a result of the last Budget.
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Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed and at what grade by the Greater Manchester probation service on 30 June 1992, 30 June 1993 and 30 June 1994.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed, and at what grade, by the Greater Manchester probation service on (a) 30 June 1992, (b) 30 June 1993 and (c) 30 June 1994.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Information is given in the table.
Staff employed by the Greater Manchester probation service, in
post at 30 June, whole-time equivalent<1>, by grade and type
Number of staff, whole time equivalent
|30 June |30 June |30 June
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Probation Officers
Chief |1 |1 |1
Deputy Chief |3 |3 |3
Assistant Chief |12 |12 |12
Senior |66 |76 |73
Main grade |360 |380 |396
Total probation officers |442 |472 |486
Non-probation grade staff
Probation Services'
Officers<2> |136 |136 |148
Clerical/secretarial |218 |227 |228
Administrative |47 |54 |56
Other non-probation grade
staff, excluding hostel
staff<3> |40 |44 |32
Hostel staff |61 |77 |85
Total non-probation grade staff |502 |537 |548
Total probation staff |944 |1,008 |1,024
<1> Whole-time staff plus whole-time equivalent of part time staff. Figures rounded to the nearest whole
number. Components and totals are rounded independently and so components may not add precisely to totals.
<2> Formerly ancillaries.
<3> Figures include sessional supervisors on community service schemes, staff employed in student training
units and on miscellaneous functions.
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were supervised by the Greater Manchester probation service on 30 June 1994.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were supervised by the Greater Manchester probation service on 30 June 1994.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The latest available information is for December 1993, when the number of offenders supervised by the Greater Manchester probation service was 11,452.
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many court reports were completed by the Greater Manchester probation service during 1992 and 1993.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many court reports were completed by the Greater Manchester probation service during (a) 1992 and (b) 1993.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Greater Manchester probation service completed 18,375 pre-sentence reports, social
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inquiry reports, family court reports and other reports for courts in 1992 and 18,201 such reports in 1993.Police Operation, Shoreham
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the police operation to escort lorries of livestock to the dock area of Shoreham on the morning of 15 February.
Mr. Maclean: I understand that the estimated cost was £36,000. Fifty-one per cent. of this expenditure will be met by Home Office grant.
Electronic Monitoring Equipment
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been undertaken in respect of the unlawful use of electronic monitoring equipment (a) within organisations or (b) against individuals in each of the last five years.
Mr. Maclean: Court proceedings data held centrally by my Department do not identify this type of information.
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the operation and enforcement of current legislation in relation to the unlawful use of electronic monitoring equipment;
(2) what are the legislative protections currently in place for employees in the workplace who may be subject to electronic surveillance without their prior authorisation or consent; (3) what proposals he has for changes in legislation relating to the utilisation of electronic monitoring equipment in the workplace against employees of the organisation.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: A number of provisions may be relevant to the use of electronic monitoring equipment. These include the Interception of Telecommunications Act 1985, the Data Protection Act 1984 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949. The Government are considering what, if any, changes may be needed to the law as it relates to privacy in the light of the report on privacy and media intrusion by the National Heritage Select Committee and of the report of Sir David Calcutt's review of press self- regulation.
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals there are within the European Community to combat the unlawful use of electronic monitoring equipment within organisations or against individuals; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: I am aware of no specific proposals for the regulation of electronic monitoring equipment.
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he is taking to proscribe the services of those companies who operate private surveillance facilities which may be made available to other organisations and individuals without reference to the subjects involved;
(2) what complaints he has received about the operation and practices of any company providing electronic surveillance services to commercial organisations; what steps he is taking to ensure that these practices are wholly lawful; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Maclean: We have received a number of complaints about advertising material produced by organisations offering information- gathering services, which may include electronic surveillance. A recent amendment to the Data Protection Act 1984 makes it an offence for a person to procure the disclosure of personal data in breach of the 1984 Act, and to offer for sale the data so procured. We are looking again at policies on the whole of the private security industry, and we await with interest the outcome of the Home Affairs Select Committee's inquiry into the industry.
Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if an investigation has been ordered into the circumstances surrounding recent allegations of the electronic bugging of office premises occupied by Mr. Michael Moore in his former employment as advertising director of Express Newspapers; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: My right hon. and learned Friend has ordered no such investigation.
Ticket Allocations
Ms Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to ensure that those people listed as potential trouble makers by the football intelligence unit do not receive tickets for the 1996 European championship.
Mr. Maclean: Arrangements concerning the ticket allocation for the 1996 European championships are for the Football Association to consider. If requested, the football unit of the national criminal intelligence service would be prepared to offer advice to the FA on applications for the purchase of tickets by English fans. It is a matter for the football associations of other countries which qualify for the tournament to consider their own arrangements, I understand that the Football Association has every reason to believe that they will do so responsibly.
Exclusion Orders
Mrs. Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many exclusion orders from football grounds have been made under part IV of the Public Order Act 1986; and what has been the duration of such orders.
Mr. Maclean: There are 449 exclusion orders extant under part IV of the 1986 Act. I understand from the Football Association that there have been 5,939 orders, including those that are extant, since the Act came into force. Information concerning the duration of such orders could be gathered only at disproportionate cost. The duration of such orders is at the discretion of the courts, but the Act provides that this cannot be for less than a period of three months.
EMPLOYMENT
Modern Apprenticeship Schemes
Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the contract signed by the apprentice and the employer on modern apprenticeship schemes is legally binding.
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Mr. Paice: Modern apprenticeships call for a training agreement recording commitment of all parties to pursue the training to a successful outcome. There is, however, no prescription by the Department as to the form or content of an agreement. This is left to the parties with the support of the industry training organisations and training and enterprise councils. For this reason, I cannot answer for the legal status of training agreements as a class of document. I can say that the possibility that an agreement will be legally binding is not precluded.
Training, Northern Region
Mr. Devlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much will be spent on training and retaining in the northern region in the current year by training and enterprise council; and how much was spent on training and re-training overall in 1978 at current prices.
Mr. Paice: The total sums available for training in northern region in 1994 95 for each of the training and enterprise councils are shown in the following table:
TEC |£ million
------------------------------------
Tyneside |41
County Durham |27.2
Sunderland City |18
Teesside |30
Northumberland |13.8
Total |130
Information which identifies spend on training in 1978 is not available at regional level.
Estimated Outturns
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the estimated outturn for (a) business enterprise training, (b) skills choice and (c) open learning credits for 1994 95.
Mr. Paice: The business start up scheme, which includes an element of business enterprise training, is now part of the single regeneration budget. The estimated outturn in 1994 95 for BSUS is £70.1 million. Estimated outturn for skill choice in 1994 95 is £11.1 million. Open learning credits was a pilot scheme in 1993 94; there is no provision for it in 1994 95.
Restart Interviews
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that the introduction of positive outcome targets for staff conducting restart interviews will not result in individual claimants being forced off programmes or benefits.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 21 February 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about whether the introduction of positive outcome targets for my
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people conducting advisory interviews will result in clients being forced off programmes or benefits.It may help if I explain that one of the main tasks of our local Jobcentres is to advise unemployed people in the best possible way and help them to find a job, or appropriate training, as soon as possible. This is done by having regular interviews, where the client is able to discuss their situation with an adviser, consider the options available and agree a course of action which, if taken, will offer the best prospects of finding a job.
As part of our objective to offer unemployed people, particularly the longer term unemployed and others at a disadvantage in the labour market, we offer help and advice in finding work or appropriate training. Since April 1994 we have had targets for positive outcomes from advisory interviews. We aim for a positive outcome of 50% of those clients invited to a 12 month advisory interview and 35% of those invited to a 24 month interview. These targets reaffirm our commitment to interviews which are effective in meeting the needs of each individual.
Far from encouraging our people to force clients off programmes or benefits, the targets reinforce the importance we place on ensuring we provide positive advice helping people back to work. This is the message that the guidance we give our people in delivering advisory interviews is designed to reinforce.
I hope this is helpful and assures you of our intent to provide unemployed people with practical advice and information which is geared to their individual requirements.
Jobcentres, Scotland
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of jobcentres that have been closed in the past 15 years in Scotland, by region.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from M.E.G. Fogden to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 21 February 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of Jobcentres that have been closed down in the past 15 years in Scotland, by region.
Unfortunately this information is not fully available. Figures can only be provided from 1989/90, the year in which the Employment Service became an Agency.
Since that date, one Jobcentre has closed in the regional authority area of Strathclyde. This office was Dalmellington.
Mobile Jobcentres
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to extend the use of mobile jobcentres, as currently used in Fife into other regions of Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment
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Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 21 February 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about his plans to extend the use of mobile Jobcentres as currently in Fife into other regions of Scotland.
There are no plans at this time to extend the use of mobile Jobcentres into other regions in Scotland.
I hope this is helpful.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report, columns 468 69, when mobile jobcentres in Fife began.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 21 February 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the date mobile Jobcentres in Fife began.
The mobile Jobcentre in Fife began in February 1994.
I hope this is helpful.
Job Vacancy Boards
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report, columns 471 72 , (1) if he will list by region (a) libraries, (b) community centres and (c) post offices which, by way of a local agreement, display job vacancy boards in Scotland;
(2) what is the cost of maintaining job vacancy boards in libraries, community centres and post offices in Scotland.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 21 February 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the locations of job vacancy display boards in libraries, community centres and post offices in Scotland and the cost of maintaining these boards.
The information required is listed by Regional and Island Council Authorities in the enclosed table.
The costs (where quoted) include only postage, telephone and fax charges. They do not include any amount for staff time either in the Jobcentres or at the vacancy board locations. Where costs are not shown nil costs apply.
I hope this is helpful.
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Vacancy Display Boards in Libraries, Community Centres and Post Offices
|Cost of |Location of |Cost of |Cost of
|Location of |maintenance |Community |maintenance |Location of Post |maintenance
Regional authority |library |(per week) |Centre |(per week) |Office |(per week)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strathclyde |Strathaven |£1.00 |Auchinleck |25p |Dundonald |25p
|Bargarran |Muirkirk |25p |New Cumnock |25p
|Bridgewater |Strone |Port Bannatyne
|Whitletts |25p |Mauchinhill |Ardbeg
|Mossblown |25p |Stewarton |Kilchattan Bay
|Coylton |25p |Riccarton |Inverary |£1.50
|Tarbolton |25p |West Kilbride |Mull |25p
|Maybole |25p |Lamlash |Colonsay |25p
|Dalmellington |25p
|Patna |25p |Dunlop
|Forth |Kilmaurs
|Lesmahagow |Fenwick
|3 Mobile libraries
| in Clydesdale |Dalry
|Tarbert |Symington
|Beith |Dundonald
|Kilmaurs |Darvel
|Crosshouse |Newmilns |£1.25
|Hurlford |Port Ellen
|Crosshouse
|Hurlford
|Galston |£1.25
|Dalry
|Bridge of Weir
Highland |Wick |£1.50 |Kinlochleven |Broadford
|Aviemore |Helmsdale |Tongue
|Lairg |Durness
|Dornoch
|Bonar Bridge
|Brora
|Golspie
|Bettyhill
|Kinlochbervie
|Merkinch |£1.50
|Alness |25p
|Ballintore |25p
Western Isles
Island Council |Benbecula
|South Uist
|Harris
|Tarbert
|Barra
Dumfries and
Galloway |Eastriggs |19p |Eastriggs |19p
|Gretna |19p |Kelloholm |19p
|Langholm |19p |Kirkconnel |19p
|Whithorn |19p |Wanlockhead |19p
|Leadhills |19p
|Kirkcolm |19p
|Drummore |19p
|Glenluce |19p
|Portpatrick |19p
|Sandhead |19p
|Garlieston |19p
|Whithorn |19p
|Isle of Whithorn |19p
|Whauphill |19p
|Wigtown |19p
Lothian |Fauldhouse |Craigmillar |£1
|Blackburn |Broomhouse South |£1
|Whitburn
|Dunbar |Queensferry
|Tranent
|Prestonpans
|North Berwick
|Mayfield
|Newtongrange
|Danderhall
|Gorebridge
Grampian |Keith |38p |Aberlour |25p |Rhynie |38p
|Huntly |38p |Lossiemouth |25p |Insch |38p
|Insch |38p |Ellon |£1.25 |Portsoy |£1.25
|Stonehaven |£1.25 |Cornhill |£1.25
|Macduff |£1.25 |Aberchirder |£1.25
|Gardenstoun |£1.25
|Rhynie |£1.00
|Insch |£1.00
|Cruden Bay
|Mintlaw
|New Deer
|St Fergus
Tayside |Whitfield |Crieff |Laurencekirk |£10 pa
|Crieff
|Auchterarder
|Carnoustie |£20
|Kirriemuir |£20 pa
|Brechin
Central |Linlithgow
Training Budget
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has for increasing the training budget for young people.
Mr. Paice: In 1997 98, planned expenditure by the Department on training for young people, through youth training, modern apprenticeships and accelerated modern apprenticeships will be £174 million more than forecast expenditure in the current year.
Training Loan
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimates he has made of (a) the percentage and (b) the amount in cash terms constituted by the take-up in Wales of (i) career development loans and (ii) small firms training loans for 1994 95.
Mr. Paice: At 31 January 1995, 491 career development loans, with a total value of £1.783 million, had been approved in Wales during the current financial year. This represented nearly 4 per cent. of the total approved throughout Great Britain. Total outturn for career development loans in Wales over 1994 95 is estimated at approximately 500 loans, with a total value of some £1.82 million.
Small firms training loans is a new programme, serious promotion of which did not start until the end of 1994. At 31 January 1995, one small firms training loan had been approved in Wales. Further applications for loans are being processed by the participating banks.
General National Vocational Qualifications
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make it his policy to allow local authorities to submit the classroom costs of delivery of general national vocational qualifications in schools for support from the European social fund; on what grounds the same rule is not applied to similar qualifications delivered by the further education sector, via the Further Education Funding Council; and if he will make a statement.
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Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 20 February 1995]: The Department is currently reviewing the eligibility of GNVQ courses for European social fund support.
Training, Merseyside
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cost of Government training and other initiatives delivered by TECs and other organisations in Merseyside in 1993 and the contribution made to that cost by the European social fund; and what are the estimated equivalent figures for 1994.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 20 February 1995]: The cost of the three main Government training and other initiatives delivered by training and enterprise councils in Merseyside in 1993 94 was £78,306,927, which included a contribution of some £14,000,000 from the European social fund. In 1994 95, the corresponding budget figures are £73,252,333 and £12,900,000 respectively.
Mrs. Jane Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total cost of training initiatives delivered by TECs and other organisations in Merseyside in (a) 1993 94 and (b) 1994 95; and what was the contribution made to these costs by the European social fund.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 20 February 1995]: The cost of the three main Government training and other initiatives delivered by training and enterprise councils in Merseyside in 1993 94 was £78,306,927, which included a contribution of some £14,000,000 from the European social fund. In 1994 95, the corresponding budget figures are £73,252,333 and £12,900,000 respectively.
South Thames TEC
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the amount owed by South Thames TEC to his Department.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 20 February 1995]: I estimate that the Department is owed at least £2 million but the final figure could be substantially higher. This represents principally the cost of training for which the Department has paid South Thames training and enterprise council but which the TEC cannot at present substantiate with evidence.
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Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who will be responsible for the financial liability in respect of the South Thames TEC employees when Central London training and enterprise council takes over the STTEC responsibilities for Southwark and Lambeth; and who will meet the cost of their redundancies and pensions.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 20 February 1995]: This will depend on the circumstances when successor arrangements to South Thames training and enterprise council are eventually agreed.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the budget allotted by his Department to South Thames TEC for 1995 96.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 20 February 1995]: The Government office for London has yet to reach agreement with training and enterprise councils over the size of budgets for 1995 96.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what will be the contract price for CENTEC to take over STTEC's
responsibilities in Southwark and Lambeth.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 20 February 1995]: I am not in a position to answer at present. Negotiations about this have yet to be concluded.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what proportions the full amount of the proposed budget for STTEC for 1995 96 will be divided between South London TEC and Central London TEC.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 20 February 1995]: The Government office for London is developing proposals for the appropriate division of the budget between SOLOTEC and CENTEC. When these are available they will be subject to further discussion between the Government office for London and the two training and enterprise councils before being finalised.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will sign the contract for CENTEC to take over the responsibilities of STTEC in relation to Southwark and Lambeth.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 20 February 1995]: I am unable to specify a date. Discussions between the Government office for London and CENTEC are still continuing on this matter.
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