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Mr. Moss: There are no medium secure units in Northern Ireland.
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EMPLOYMENT
Labour Statistics
11. Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the number of women in work in Leeds, West (a) full-time and (b) part-time; and what percentage of the work force these figures constitute. [21626]
Miss Widdecombe: As the hon. Member will be aware, information for areas of this size is available only from the census of employment. Results of the latest census, for 1993, will be available in September 1995.
Results from the autumn 1994 labour force survey for west Yorkshire showed 222,000 women in full-time work and 195,000 in part-time work as employees or self-employed, equivalent to 23 per cent. and 21 per cent. respectively of the total.
12. Mr. Gunnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many changes have been made since 1979 to the categories of persons included as unemployed in the data issued by his Department; and if he will list those categories and the numbers eliminated or added at each change. [21627]
Mr. Oppenheim: There have been nine changes to the benefit system which have significantly affected the claimant count. In order to maintain consistency, we produce a series of figures taking account of these changes for comparison purposes. These changes do not, of course, affect the Department's other measure of unemployment, the labour force survey which is based on the International Labour Organisation standards.
15. Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the size of the work force currently in employment; and what was the equivalent figure a year ago. [21630]
Mr. Oppenheim: There were 25.6 million in the work force in employment in the United Kingdom in December 1994 compared with 25.4 million in December 1993.
Long-term Unemployed People
13. Mr. Legg: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the Government's policies on helping long-term unemployed people to find jobs. [21628]
Mr. Paice: In April we introduced Jobmatch, job finder's grants, Workwise and 1-2-1, four new national programmes. In addition, we extended community action and expanded work trials. There are 240,000 places on these programmes alone.
EC Employment Direction
14. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about future EC employment direction; and if he will make a statement. [21629]
Mr. Portillo: At every meeting of the Social Affairs Council, I have urged my fellow Employment Ministers to make job creation the first priority and not to pursue new labour market restrictions and regulations which can only destroy jobs.
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Spanish Employment Minister
16. Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the Spanish Employment Minister to discuss labour markets and competitiveness; and if he will make a statement. [21631]
Mr. Portillo: I last met the Spanish Minister of Labour at the end of March. We share the view that European countries need in their own ways to improve the performance of their labour markets, to increase competitiveness and achieve sustainable reductions in structural unemployment.
Take-home Pay
17. Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent evidence he has to show how take-home pay in the United Kingdom compares with that in other EC countries. [21633]
Mr. Oppenheim: Independent research shows that British workers' average take-home pay is among the best in the European Union, better than France, Italy or Denmark and comparable with western Germany.
Youth Unemployment
18. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met other EU employment ministers to discuss youth unemployment. [21635]
Mr. Paice: Employment matters feature regularly in the discussions that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has with ministerial counterparts. I am pleased to say that the rate of youth unemployment in the UK is well below the Community average.
25. Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the effects of labour market regulation on levels of youth unemployment. [21642]
Mr. Paice: The Government believe that labour market regulation damages the level of employment, particularly for young people.
Unemployment
19. Mr. Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures the Government are taking to encourage unemployed people to try different jobs. [21636]
Miss Widdecombe: Employment Service advisers encourage unemployed people to apply for a wide range of vacancies. Last year, the ES placed 1.87 million people in work. The Government also provide 1.5 million opportunities to help unemployed people to improve their employability, job search activities and skills.
Age Discrimination
20. Mrs. Angela Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what the "Too Old, Who Says?" campaign aims to achieve; and what assessment he has made of how successful it has been. [21637]
Miss Widdecombe: The aim of the campaign is to counter age discrimination in the workplace. Through the "Too Old, Who Says?" booklet, supporting roadshows and media coverage, we offer help, advice and support to older people seeking work. It is too early to judge the success of the campaign which is still on-going. The initial response has been very encouraging.
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23. Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of whether the "Too Old, Who Says?" campaign is achieving its aims. [21640]
Miss Widdecombe: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash, (Mrs. Knight) earlier today.
Unemployment, Ealing, Southall
21. Mr. Khabra: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the rate of unemployment in the constituency of Ealing, Southall in 1979; and whatis the latest figure calculated using the samemethodology. [21638]
Mr. Oppenheim: Claimant unemployment rates are not available below the level of self-contained labour markets known as travel-to-work areas.
Employment Select Committee Report
22. Mr. Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his response to the proposals made in the first report of the Employment Select Committee, Session 1994 95, "Mothers in Employment". [21639]
Miss Widdecombe: We are considering the report and will respond to the Committee in due course.
Wage Rates
26. Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees are being paid at a rate of £2.50 an hour or less. [21643]
Mr. Oppenehim: The results of the latest new earnings survey show that, for full-time and part-time employees in Great Britain whose pay was not affected by absence, some 17 per 1,000 earn £2.50 per hour or less.
Careers Service
27. Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what improvements are being made to the running of the careers service. [21645]
Mr. Paice: We have been establishing clear quality standards and making significant investment through contracts and competition, which give accountability with innovation.
Stockport Training and Enterprise Council
Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the cumulative total paid by Stockport training and enterprise council to the Damar Group of St. Petersgate, Stockport (a) in total since the TEC was established and (b) in each year. [21174]
Mr. Paice: Training and enterprise councils are private companies and the contracts they enter into are subject to commercial confidentiality. Accordingly, the information requested is not collected by the Department.
Equal Opportunities
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which Minister in his Department has responsibility for equal opportunities issues. [21460]
Miss Widdecombe: I have responsibility for sex equality issues, people with disabilities and older workers.
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My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Mr. Oppenheim), deals with race equality issues, while my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Cambridgeshire, South (Mr. Paice) is responsible for special needs training.Teesside TEC
Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, what has been the expenditure of Teesside TEC on the East Cleveland training and employment group in each of the last 10 years. [21436]
Mr. Paice [holding answer 1 May 1995]: Training and enterprise councils are private companies and the contracts they enter into are subject to commercial confidentiality. Accordingly the information requested is not collected by the Department.
Training for Work
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much his Department plans to spend on training for unemployed people living within the Greater London area in the present financial year. [22404]
Mr. Paice: The budget for training for work for unemployed adults for the London training and enterprise councils for the 1995 96 financial year is approximately £94.4 million.
Graduate Unemployment
Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present level of graduate unemployment; what proportion of trainees on Government schemes move from their training into related areas of employment; and what forms of assistance are accorded to trainees to move from training into such employment. [22530]
Mr. Paice: The latest estimates from labour force survey for autumn 1994 show that 185,000 graduates of working are ILO unemployed.
There are a number of ways that the Government help to equip trainees for entry into the labour market. Training and enterprise councils are encouraged to give jobsearch help to trainees and training for work is now more jobs focused with payment being made for outcomes achieved. We are working towards a target of 50 per cent. of leavers going into jobs by 1997 98. Training enables young people to gain nationally recognised vocational qualifications and receive advice and guidance which equips them to compete in the labour market.
The tables show what proportion of trainees move from their training into related areas of employment:
Percentage of those who trained in each occupational area and who got a job, where that job was in the same occupational area as their training TFW England and Wales |Per cent. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1993-94 leavers Management or administration work |27 Professional work |15 Science or engineering work |32 Health associated work |59 Legal or business associated work |2 Literary or sport professional |6 Clerical work |27 Secretarial work |12 Skilled construction work |39 Skilled Engineering/electronic work |30 Metal/welding work |29 Motor vehicle work |29 Textile work |53 Printing/woodworking/horticulture or craft work |20 Protective service occupation |23 Catering/waiting work |39 Health/childcare occupation |42 Hairdressing/personal Service work |36 Buyer/sales Representative work |24 Sales assistant/checkout operator/other sales occupation |37 Industrial/plant machine operating work |19 Transport operatives/drivers occupation |47 Agriculture/forestry/fishing |11 Other elementary/manual work |30 Source: TFW Trainee database and follow-up survey.
Percentage of those who trained in each occupational area and who got a job, where that job was in the same occupational area as their training Youth Training England and Wales |Per cent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1993-94 leavers Science and engineering professions |12 Sport/creative/artistic work |15 Secretarial work |12 Engineering work |25 Vehicle trades |26 Printing /woodworking work |10 Cooking/food preparation etc. |35 Security work/police/HM forces |n/a Hairdressing/beautician work |70 Sales work |20 Industrial plant machine work and assembly |11 Nursing and medical technicians |n/a Clerical work |21 Building/construction work |26 Metal forming, welding and related trades |8 Making textiles and clothing |27 Health and childcare work |13 Buying and sales reps |n/a Transport workers and drivers |n/a Farming, fishing or gardening work |14 Other elementary work |23 Source: YT trainee database and follow-up survey.
Training Provisions
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many places were provided by each TEC in (a) the current year, (b) the previous three years for (i) special needs trainees, (ii) those unemployed for 12 months or over and (iii) those unemployed for 24 months or over; [22994]
(2) what is the average length of stay for (a) men, (b) women, (c) each ethnic group and (d) special needs trainees on (i) youth training and (ii) training for work or employment training; and, for each programme, how many trainees and, what proportion have been in training for (1) more than 20 weeks, (2) between 20 and 52 weeks,
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(3) more than 52 weeks but under 104 weeks and (4) over 104 weeks; and what were the corresponding figures in each of the last five years; [22993](3) how many people (a) applied for and (b) were in receipt of (i) enterprise allowance and (ii) business start-up allowance for each TEC area, in each region, and for Great Britain as a whole in each of the last fiveyears; [22995]
(4) in each of the last three years, what has been the number of NVQs achieved, and at what levels, by entrants to (a) the YT programme and (b) the training for work programme for each TEC in (i) each region and (ii) the United Kingdom; [22952]
(5) how many (a) men, (b) women, (c) members of each ethnic group and (d) special needs trainees currently have places on (i) YT and (ii) training for work or ET for each TEC in (1) each region and (2) for each country of the United Kingdom; and what were the figures in each of the last five years; [22988]
(6) what is the average length of stay on (a) training for work and (b) YT programmes broken down by(i) gender, (ii) ethnic group and (iii) those with a disability or health problem for each TEC in (1) each region and (2) the United Kingdom. [22951]
Mr. Paice: As this information is contained in a number of tables, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library.
Employment Measures (Disabled People)
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made since the introduction of special contracts arrangements to employ more people with a disability. [22702]
Miss Widdecombe: The special contracts arrangement was introduced on 29 November 1994 to help supported employment programme providers compete for contracts tendered by Government Departments and agencies.
Ninety-one workshops have now registered under the special contracts arrangement and the size of the supported employment programme has remained steady at around 21,000 severely disabled participants.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of his Department's budget is allocated to initiatives which have been undertaken to secure private finance for his Department's projects. [22799]
Miss Widdecombe: Options for securing private finance are considered as a part of normal project arrangements in the Department. No specific element of the budget is set aside for this purpose.
National Vocational Qualifications
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many, and what proportion of, vacancies advertised by his Department and by each of his Department's agencies in the last three years have listed the attainment of NVQs as an acceptable entry requirement; and, of those, how many have required (a) level 1 NVQs, (b) level 2 NVQs, (c) level 3 NVQs and (d) other level national vocational qualifications. [22990]
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Miss Widdecombe: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Special Contracts
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment his Department has made of the success of the special contracts arrangements [22701]
Miss Widdecombe: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Chidgey) on 15 March 1995, Official Report , column 624.
Accounting Officers
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many times in the last 10 years, and on which dates his departmental accounting officer has issued a minute in that role; and what was the issue in each case. [22562]
Miss Widdecombe: I know of no such cases.
Employment Services (Targets)
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on what basis he decided the target of 9.5 per cent. of initial claim inquiries made to the Employment Service not to be pursued as new claims, target No. 7 in the Employment Service's annual performance agreement for 1995 96; what factors have led to an increase in this target from the equivalent target in the annual performance agreement for 1994 95; and if he will make a statement. [23048]
Miss Widdecombe: The purpose of this target is to ensure that each client has been: informed of all the conditions necessary to qualify for unemployment benefit; referred to make a claim for the appropriate benefit and offered any suitable vacancies before attending a new claims interview. It is the client's decision whether or not to pursue a claim to benefit.
In deciding the target level for 1995 96, a number of factors have been taken into account. These include performance against the target during 1994 95 and the labour market and the operational context in which the Employment Service will be working in the coming year.
Employment Service (Claims)
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list (a) the total number of claims made to the Employment Service which were referred to adjudication, in each case giving the reason for referral to adjudication, (b) the total amount spent on adjudication services in the Employment Service and (c) the percentage of the Employment Service budget spent on adjudication services for each year since1988; [23047]
(2) if he will list (a) the number of claims for unemployment related benefits made to the Employment Service which are referred to adjudication and (b) the percentage of those cases where the adjudication officer has decided in favour of the Employment Service's referral, in each case giving the reason for referral to adjudication for each year since 1988. [23049]
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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 Ms Harriet Harman, dated 9 May 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about claims referred to adjudication, and about the cost of adjudication services in the Employment Service (ES).
Unfortunately information is not available in the form you have requested. We record the number of adjudication decisions and opinions given rather than the number of cases referred to adjudication. Decisions are recorded as allowed, disallowed, reviewed in the claimant's favour, reviewed adversely to the
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claimant, referred to the Social Security Appeal Tribunal for a decision, or not reviewed.Information on the number of adjudication officer's decisions and opinions is contained in a published document entitled "Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions". This provides information on all the main entitlement questions arising on claims. Copies of this document are held in the Library of the House. The latest available information relates to the quarter year to December 1994.
Approximately £25.2 million was spent on adjudication services in the ES during the year April 1994 to March 1995. This figure includes the cost of salaries, general administrative expenditure, and premises costs, and represents some 2.4% of the total ES Gross Running Costs Budget for the year. I am sorry that this information is not available for the earlier years. 1994/95 was the first year for which total adjudication costs have been calculated.
I hope this is helpful.
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