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Pupils (Net Institutional Expenditure)
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list in descending order the net unit cost of institutional expenditure for each local education authority for 1993 4 for (a) pre-primary and primary education and (b) secondary education. [34486]
Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 14 July 1995]: Table A sets out for each LEA in England the net institutional expenditure per pupil in descending order in LEA-maintained pre-primary and primary schools and table B the information on secondary schools.
Cost per pupil: Net institutional
expenditure
Pre-Primary/Primary 1993-94
|£
-----------------------------------
Corporation of London |3,587
Islington |2,719
Lambeth |2,666
Tower Hamlets |2,656
City of Westminster |2,592
Hammersmith and Fulham |2,534
Isles of Scilly |2,401
Kensington and Chelsea |2,394
Haringey |2,236
Wandsworth |2,139
Lewisham |2,058
Camden |2,047
Greenwich |2,009
Barnet |2,006
Hackney |1,958
Ealing |1,915
Harrow |1,913
Merton |1,853
Waltham Forest |1,821
Southwark |1,806
Hillingdon |1,804
Richmond upon Thames |1,794
Croydon |1,793
Barking |1,790
Hounslow |1,784
Enfield |1,768
Oxfordshire |1,765
Buckinghamshire |1,735
Kingston upon Thames |1,728
Essex |1,724
Rotherham |1,723
Newham |1,708
Surrey |1,701
Newcastle upon Tyne |1,697
Northumberland |1,686
Coventry |1,684
Sandwell |1,681
Suffolk |1,673
Walsall |1,672
Lancashire |1,669
Cumbria |1,667
Gateshead |1,664
Durham |1,664
Hertfordshire |1,664
Bradford |1,654
Nottinghamshire |1,653
Leeds |1,647
Oldham |1,645
East Sussex |1,643
Redbridge |1,640
Sutton |1,639
Bedfordshire |1,639
Havering |1,636
Brent |1,633
Leicestershire |1,629
Humberside |1,621
Hereford and Worcester |1,617
Calderdale |1,607
St. Helens |1,605
Derbyshire |1,600
Isle of Wight |1,598
Berkshire |1,592
Liverpool |1,586
Norfolk |1,585
Somerset |1,583
Hampshire |1,583
Bolton |1,581
Kirklees |1,579
West Sussex |1,579
Wakefield |1,577
Shropshire |1,577
Solihull |1,574
Sheffield |1,573
Bexley |1,573
Birmingham |1,572
Avon |1,571
North Yorkshire |1,555
Warwickshire |1,555
Wirral |1,552
Manchester |1,547
Barnsley |1,539
Cornwall |1,535
Staffordshire |1,534
Cambridgeshire |1,534
Bromley |1,525
Gloucestershire |1,523
Northamptonshire |1,522
Wiltshire |1,521
Sunderland |1,509
Salford |1,505
Devon |1,503
Lincolnshire |1,496
Dudley |1,490
Knowsley |1,485
Dorset |1,485
Cheshire |1,483
North Tyneside |1,469
Stockport |1,466
South Tyneside |1,463
Cleveland |1,461
Sefton |1,448
Tameside |1,442
Wigan |1,437
Bury |1,432
Trafford |1,428
Doncaster |1,425
Kent |1,397
Wolverhampton |1,357
Rochdale |1,307
Average |1,630
Cost per pupil: Net institutional
expenditure
Secondary 1993-94
|£
-----------------------------------
Isles of Scilly |4,415
Hammersmith and Fulham |3,329
Lambeth |3,296
Kensington and Chelsea |3,266
Tower Hamlets |3,157
Haringey |3,041
Islington |3,005
Barnet |2,952
Wandsworth |2,795
City of Westminster |2,739
Camden |2,716
Hillingdon |2,670
Hackney |2,617
Lewisham |2,614
Liverpool |2,613
Greenwich |2,583
Ealing |2,575
Newham |2,563
Enfield |2,531
Waltham Forest |2,526
Redbridge |2,526
Conventry |2,469
West Sussex |2,467
Merton |2,463
Harrow |2,439
Southwark |2,421
Warwickshire |2,420
Nottinghamshire |2,381
Wiltshire |2,379
Barking |2,355
Shropshire |2,354
Sandwell |2,349
Lancashire |2,347
Bexley |2,341
Birmingham |2,330
Manchester |2,328
Lincolnshire |2,322
St. Helens |2,315
Stockport |2,310
Croydon |2,309
Norfolk |2,309
Wolverhampton |2,300
Wirral |2,299
Havering |2,290
Avon |2,288
Buckinghamshire |2,286
Essex |2,286
Kingston upon Thames |2,284
Hounslow |2,282
Walsall |2,281
Bromley |2,280
Richmond upon Thames |2,280
Oldham |2,278
Rotherham |2,271
East Sussex |2,270
Leicestershire |2,263
Humberside |2,257
Gateshead |2,252
Hertfordshire |2,245
Knowsley |2,243
Solihull |2,217
Cumbria |2,216
Salford |2,215
Surrey |2,215
Derbyshire |2,214
Berkshire |2,214
Kirklees |2,207
Sefton |2,204
Oxfordshire |2,191
Suffolk |2,190
North Yorkshire |2,187
Newcastle upon Tyne |2,187
Hampshire |2,180
Leeds |2,164
Calderdale |2,162
Cornwall |2,160
Devon |2,157
Trafford |2,156
Wakefield |2,150
Wigan |2,141
Somerset |2,138
Cleveland |2,129
Northamptonshire |2,125
Bolton |2,119
Sheffield |2,119
Sunderland |2,114
Durham |2,114
Cheshire |2,106
Bedfordshire |2,103
Barnsley |2,101
Dudley |2,098
Tameside |2,095
Gloucestershire |2,084
Northumberland |2,083
Kent |2,079
Staffordshire |2,078
Dorset |2,065
Hereford and Worcester |2,038
Isle of Wight |2,027
Doncaster |2,022
North Tyneside |1,995
Bury |1,979
Sutton |1,978
Rochdale |1,974
Bradford |1,969
Cambridgeshire |1,956
South Tyneside |1,948
Brent |1,835
Corporation of London |0
Average |2,245
Special Education Needs (Asthma)
Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children were given statements of special educational needs in the last five years for which figures are available; and how many of them were statemented because of asthma. [34528]
Mr. Forth: Information on the number of children with statements of special educational needs is contained in the table.
Information is not collected on the number of children who received statements because of asthma.
Total number of children with statements of special educational
needs and number with new statements in England
Position in January each year
|Total children with
Survey year |statements |New statements<1>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990<2> |142,618 |24,898
1991 |154,743 |26,519
1992 |165,095 |30,847
1993(3) |176,698 |34,037
1994<4> |192,308 |38,292
<1> Children with statement made for the first time during the previous
calendar year.
<2> Excludes Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth
and Wandsworth.
<3> Excludes Leicestershire.
<4> Excludes Derbyshire.
Department of Employment (Sheffield Site)
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guarantee she will give that staff employed at the former Department of Employment's Sheffield office will continue their work. [33519]
Mr. Robin Squire: It is expected that the Department will continue to operate from the Sheffield site, which performs a range of important functions.
Training
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the number of Government-funded training for work placements, with title of scheme, each year since the introduction of the job creation programme. [34025]
Mr. Paice: The information is shown in the following table and covers all adult and youth programmes:
Number of adult and youth programme starts<1> for each financial year from 1978-79 to 1994-95
Great Britain, numbers
|Enterprise |Industrial
|allowance/ |Youth |Voluntary |Training |language
|Total for all|Community |Community |business |opportunities|projects |Youth |opportunities|training |Occupational |Business |Employment
Year |programmes |Industry |programme<2> |start-up<3> |programme |programme |training<4 5>|programme<6> |scheme<7> |training<8> |training |action
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |258,800 |6,700 |19.700 |- |162,200 |- |- |70,200 |- |- |- |-
1979-80 |338,400 |8,900 |22,400 |- |216,400 |- |- |90,700 |- |- |- |-
1980-81 |469,200 |8,200 |18,400 |- |360,000 |- |- |82,600 |- |- |- |-
1981-82 |674,800 |9,000 |34,300 |- |553,000 |- |- |71,200 |7,300 |- |- |-
1982-83 |655,900 |8,900 |12,100 |2,500 |543,100 |- |- |72,600 |8,900 |- |- |-
1983-84 |647,200 |9,600 |134,400 |27,600 |- |- |370,000 |80,100 |11,500 |- |- |-
1984-85 |797,000 |9,500 |161,400 |46,000 |- |63,000 |397,000 |- |11,300 |58,200 |6,500 |-
1985-86 |1,045,000 |9,500 |241,200 |60,000 |- |71,500 |406,000 |- |13,800 |- |- |-
1986-87 |1,358,500 |9,800 |307,500 |86,800 |- |80,300 |420,000 |- |19,300 |- |- |-
1987-88 |1,402,900 |9,800 |269,100 |106,300 |- |105,600 |399,000 |- |17,600 |- |- |-
1988-89 |1,263,500 |10,800 |84,000 |98,500 |- |88,200 |408,000 |- |17,200 |- |- |-
1989-90 |893,000 |- |- |78,000 |- |- |384,000 |- |- |- |- |-
1990-91 |797,000 |- |- |60,000 |- |- |347,800 |- |- |- |- |-
1991-92 |655,400 |- |- |50,000 |- |- |290,400 |- |- |- |- |22,000
1992-93 |686,000 |- |- |41,000 |- |- |286,700 |- |- |- |- |67,000
1993-94 |669,000 |- |- |40,600 |- |- |290,300 |- |- |- |- |-
1994-95 |655,900 |- |- |31,200 |- |- |303,700 |- |- |- |- |-
Source:
Training Statistics.
Notes:
<1> Including second and subsequent starts.
<2> Includes Special Temporary Employment Programme (1978-79 to 1980-81). Community Enterprise Programme (1981-82) and Community Programme (1982-83 to 1988-89).
<3> EAS was replaced by BSUS in April 1991 BSUS is a TEC delivered programme based on local needs.
<4> YT/YTS figures may not correspond to earlier published figures due to periodical updating.
<5> From April 1990 YTS became YT.
<> Except for the following, all figures were obtained from the relevant Training Agency Branch/Section.
<6> Training Opportunities Programme (TOPS), up to 1979-80 from Annual Reports.
<7> Industrial Language Training Scheme (ILTS), figures prior to 1987-88 from Annual Reports. Figures prior to 1981-82 are not available separately. ILTS was part of Training Within Industry (
TWI) which was part of TOPS and comprised several smaller schemes. The ILTS figure is therefore included in the TOPS total for these years.
<8> Occupational Training (OT), Business Training (BT) and Work Preparation (WP), figures from Annual Reports.
The Youth Opportunities Programme was split into two parts, Work Experience (WE) included in the figures are a) Work Experience on Employers Premises (WEEP), b) Community Projects (CP) and Work
Preparation (WP) included in the figures are (a) Short training Courses, (b) Remedial and Preparatory Courses (mainly work induction courses and young people's work preparation courses) and c)
Assessment and Employment Induction Courses.
Column 987
Number of adult and youth programme starts<1> for each financial year from 1978-79 to 1994-95 Year |preparation |scheme |scheme |Enterprise |technology |to employers|preparation |programme |for work |Open tech |scheme<2> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1978-79 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- 1979-80 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- 1980-81 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- 1981-82 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- 1982-83 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |7,800 1983-84 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |6,000 |8,000 1984-85 |23,000 |- |- |- |- |- |- |3,100 |- |12,000 |6,000 1985-86 |- |54,800 |20,300 |28,200 |53,300 |34,300 |20,600 |- |20,000 |11,500 1986-87 |- |68,800 |2,100 |67,000 |32,200 |131,700 |48,800 |42,900 |- |33,000 |8,300 1987-88 |- |49,200 |99,100 |107,000 |22,100 |123,500 |46,200 |41,400 |- |- |7,000 1988-89 |- |24,300 |50,700 |89,800 |- |106,800 |27,900 |16,600 |238,600 |- |2,100 1989-90 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |431,000 |- |- 1990-91 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |389,000 |- |- 1991-92 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |293,000 |- |- 1992-93 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |291,000 |- |- 1993-94 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |338,400 |- |- 1994-95 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |321,100 |- |- Source: Training Statistics. Note: <1> Including second and subsequent starts. <2> National Priority Skill Scheme; prior to 1986 figures are from Annual Reports. The figure for 1984 has been estimated. The Youth Opportunities Programme was split into two parts. Work Experience (WE): included in the figures are a) Work Experience on Employers Premises (WEEP).b) Community Projects (CP) and Work Preparation (WP): included in the figures are a) Short Training Courses, b) Remedial and Preparatory Courses (mainly work induction courses and young people's work preparation courses) and c) Assessment and Employment Induction Courses.
Sir Peter Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will provide incentives to training and enterprise councils to encourage firms of under 50 employees to commit themselves to investment in people programmes. [34727]
Mr. Paice: Training and enterprise councils have some £55 million available in 1995 95 to help employers to move towards investors in people. Employers normally need to contribute to the cost on a matched funding basis but TECs have the discretion to exempt those with under 50 employees from this requirement. Almost 9,000 firms with under 50 employees are formally committed to achieving the investors in people standard. I will be considering proposals for performance targets for TECs for 1995 96 during the autumn. The Department has other provisions aimed specifically at training in small firms. Over three years from April 1995, £63 million is available through skills for small businesses to help 24,000 key workers in small firms to become training champions and train others in their firms.
The competitiveness White Paper "Forging ahead", published in May 1995, includes £5 million for the small firms training challenge. A prospectus will be published shortly, seeking bids from group of small firms.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what consideration she has given to the introduction of a training levy; and if she will make a statement. [34952]
Mr. Paice: The introduction of a general training levy is not under consideration. The Government remain committed to deregulation--removed burdens on firms, not increasing them.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the achievements of (a) her policies and (b) her Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months; and if she will publish the performance indicators by which her Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring. [34704]
Mr. Paice: The Government recognise the crucial role played by small firms in the UK economy. Effective human resource management is crucial to the success of small firms. The Department funds training and enterprise councils to improve their commitment to developing their people through a range of measures.
The numbers of organisations that have reached the investors in people standard are:
|May 1994|May 1995
--------------------------------------------------------------
Firms with less than 200 employees |613 |1,394
Firms with less than 50 employees |371 |850
Materials are available to help small firms achieve the standard. Over 8,000 organisations with less than 50 employees have made a formal commitment to achieving the standard.
Column 990
The small firms training loans scheme was introduced last year. Some 1,500 loans are forecast this year.Over three years from April 1995, skills for small businesses will equip 24,000 key workers in small firms to train others in their firms and to help other small firms. In piloting the initiative, more than 50 firms were helped to train key workers.
The competitiveness White Paper "Forging Ahead" outlined a programme of measures to assist the growth and competitiveness of the small firms sector. This includes £5 million for the small firms training challenge. The aim is to involve directly at least 1,000 small firms in exemplary projects. A prospectus will be published shortly, seeking bids from groups of small firms.
The small firms lead body, supported by the Department, has been developing standards and qualifications appropriate to small businesses.
In addition to these specific measures, large numbers of small firms continue to take part in other training initiatives such as modern apprenticeships, youth training and training for work.
Departmental Redundancies
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the number of (a) total and (b) voluntary redundancies occurring in (i) the Department for Education and (ii) the Department of Employment over the last 12 months; and what was the amount of money spent on these redundancy
payments. [34580]
Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 14 July 1995]: There have been no redundancies in either the Department for Education or the Employment Department over the last 12 months.
Unfair Dismissal
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many unfair dismissal cases were brought against (a) the Department for Education and (b) the Department of Employment over the last 12 months; how many cases were successful; and what were the total costs, both in legal fees and compensation. [34578]
Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 14 July 1995]: None and 29 respectively. No cases were successful. The total legal costs incurred were £22,554.47
Sickness Absence
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many sickness days were lost by employees of (a) the Department for Education and (b) the Department of Employment over the last 12 months, both in total and as a proportion of the number of days worked; and what was the cost of this absence. [34579]
Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 14 July 1995]: Information is not readily available in the form requested. The total number of working days lost to sickness during 1994 by employees of the Department for Education was 13,926, or 3.46 per cent. of the working days available. The total number of days lost to employees of the Employment Department for the 12 months up to the end
Column 991
of March were 636,709, or 4.8 per cent. of the total number of working days available.The cost of this absence could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Part-time Students
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action she is taking to ensure that students under 19 years attending further education courses part time will be adequately funded. [35064]
Mr. Paice: Last month, the former Employment Department and Department for Education, together with the Training and Enterprise Council National Council and the Further Education Funding Council, issued joint guidance to interested parties on their respective funding responsibilities for part-time students. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to ensure that part-time students with learning difficulties are not disadvantaged by undertaking non-national vocational qualification programmes under the training credits scheme. [35063]
Mr. Paice: Youth credits provide access to youth training, which supports young people with learning difficulties in making progress towards qualifications agreed in an individual training plan and tailored to their individual needs. Additional support is provided to help both full and part -time trainees achieve their agreed training aim.
Young People Leaving Care (Support Services)
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what specific support services are made available by her Department for young people leaving care. [35013]
Mr. Paice: The Department works closely with the Department of Health to promote effective support to young people leaving care. There are specific provisions for this group in entitlement to income support and to youth training. Career services provide support for all young people, including those leaving care, in making informed career choices.
Actively Seeking Employment (Warning Letters)
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if a warning letter in respect of actively seeking employment is normally issued before a benefit
disqualification; [33558]
(2) in what circumstances a warning letter in respect of actively seeking employment will be issued. [33559]
Mr. Forth: Responsibility for the subject of the questions 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 992
Letter from D. Grover to Mr. David Chidgey, dated 17 July 1995: The Secretary of State has asked me, in the absence of the Chief Executive, to reply to your questions concerning the issue of warning letters in respect of actively seeking employment.A warning letter in respect of actively seeking employment is not normally issued before a claim is referred for an adjudication decision. A warning letter is issued only when it is clear that a client has genuinely misunderstood what is expected of them and is in need of further advice on the requirement to actively seek employment.
I hope this is helpful.
Career Development Loans
Mr. Pearson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received on the refusal of banks to consider career development loans applications until six weeks before the start of training or education; and if she will make a statement. [34123]
Mr. Paice: The Department has not received any representations concerning any refusal of career development loan lending banks to consider applications until six weeks before the start of training or education. There is no policy to impose any time limit on consideration of loan applications. As CDL literature clearly points out, prospective applicants are advised to apply well in advance of the course start date as it may take two or three weeks before the banks are able to make a decision. Although CDL funds cannot be released more than one month in advance of the course start date, the banks can consider applications at any time. In cases where they consider an application more than one month before the course start date, the banks may ask the applicant to confirm that his details remain the same prior to the release of funds.
Department of Employment Staff
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many staff employed in the former Department of Employment will as a result of that Department's abolition, (a) be made redundant, (b) take early retirement, (c) be employed on a temporary contract instead of a permanent contract and (d) be employed on a part-time basis instead of a full-time basis; and if she will make a statement. [34660]
Mr. Robin Squire: The functions carried out by the former Employment Department will continue in the Departments to which they have been transferred. There may be some scope for rationalisation as a result of these changes but it is too soon to say what the effect will be. Our aim will be, if possible, to avoid compulsory redundancies, in the same way as the former Employment Department has achieved a reduction of over 4,000 staff in the last two years without compulsory redundancies.
Department of Employment Programmes
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which programmes formerly undertaken by the Department of Employment have been transferred to other Departments; and which have been dropped. [34668]
Column 993
Mrs. Gillian Shephard: The main responsibilities transferring from the former Employment Department to other Departments are: industrial relations policy and legislation, pay issues, redundancy payments, administration of industrial tribunals and sponsorship of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to the Department of Trade and Industry;
health and safety at work, including the Health and Safety Commission and Executive to the Department of the Environment; employment statistics and labour market surveys to the Central Statistical Office.
All other functions of the former Employment Department including employment, training, labour market and equal opportunities will be undertaken by the newly created Department for Education and Employment.
Access to Work Scheme
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many applications have been made for each element of assistance under the access to work scheme since June 1994; and how many and what proportion of these were successful; [34384] (2) what is the average amount paid under the access to work scheme (a) per applicant, (b) per element of assistance and (c) per region; [34385]
(3) how many and what proportion of applicants refused assistance under the access to work scheme have subsequently appealed against this refusal; and what are the outcomes; [34386]
(4) what is the average period between an application for assistance under the access to work scheme and the provision of assistance; [34387]
(5) how many and what proportion of applicants for access to work have been from (a) people in employment, (b) people in self-employment and (c) people signing on as unemployed. [34388]
Mr. Forth: Responsibility for the subject of the questions 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 R. M. Phillips to Mr. Roger Berry, dated 17 July 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me, in the absence of the Chief Executive, to reply to your questions about the Access to Work programme.
The Access to Work programme was introduced in June 1994 to provide support to help disabled people overcome work-related obstacles caused by their disability so that they are able to compete for jobs and perform at work on an equal basis with non-disabled people.
Provisional figures for the period 6 June 1994 to 31 March 1995 show that the number of items approved under each element is as follows--
0
|Number
------------------------------------------------
Special aids and equipment |10,614
Adaptations to premises |111
Personal reader service |215
Assistance with fares to work |1,418
Communicator support at interview |288
Support worker assistance |432
Adaptations to vehicles |94
Miscellaneous items of support |289
Some disabled people will have received more than one element of assistance in the period. The personal reader support and assistance with fares to work figures do not include those disabled people who received support under transitional arrangements from previous schemes and did not transfer to Access to Work until April 1995. Statistics are not held centrally for the number of applications that were turned down in the period. However, we are currently undertaking a review of Access to Work and research to support the review will examine in detail the operation of the programme. A report of the research will be published in the normal way.
The average cost per item of support and per Region is listed in the following table.
Average cost per application by item
|£
---------------------------------------
Assisted fares to work |1,845
Adaptations to premises |5,897
Adaptations to vehicles |1,212
Communicator support |169
Miscellaneous |403
Personal reader service |5,857
Special aids and equipment |1,008
Support workers |497
Average cost by region
Region |Spend £ |Beneficiaries |Average cost £
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |729,133 |433 |1,684
Yorkshire and
Humberside |1,470,175 |890 |1,652
East Midlands |1,633,242 |978 |1,670
London and South
East |4,370,219 |2,126 |2,056
South West |1,324,317 |874 |1,515
Wales |664,951 |517 |1,286
West Midlands |1,560,407 |1,061 |1,471
North West |1,546,114 |1,275 |1,213
Scotland |1,116,383 |835 |1,337
Total |14,414,941 |8,989 |1,604
These figures do not include support for 922 disabled people on transitional arrangements from the Personal Reader Scheme, which were dealt with by Head Office and are not appropriate to the Regional figure.
Provisional figures for the year beginning April 1994 show that the average cost of support per application was £1,570 (includes the transitional cases).
Placing, Assessment and Counselling Team (PACT) managers are responsible for monitoring the operation of Access to Work and therefore the detail of other information you asked for is not currently held centrally. However, the review and research mentioned earlier will give information in these areas. A report of the research will be published in the normal way.
You may be interested to learn that three Employment Service Regions are piloting a formal operating agreement in which specific standards are set. The suggested standards are:
PACT to complete within 3 weeks of application an action plan for 80% of applicants;
PACTs to order within 2 weeks of completion of the action plan the agreed goods or services for 80% of all applicants;
PACTs to follow up all cases where goods or services are not delivered within one month of completion of order;
PACTs to follow up, by visit or telephone, 95% of applicants within 3 months of the delivery of the goods or services.
Our intention is to extend this operating agreement to all Regions for the 1996/7 operating year, subject to the experience of the pilots.
I hope this is helpful.
Column 995
Employment Service
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement about the future of the Employment Service. [34626]
Mr. Forth: A prior options review of the Employment Service was completed in March this year. This concluded that the agency has significantly improved its performance since 1990; that it has a very important part to play in the effective operation of the labour market; and that it will perform a crucial role in implementing the jobseeker's allowance, which will be introduced next year. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Colchester, South and Maldon (Mr. Whittingdale) on 29 March 1995, Official Report , columns 641-42 , by my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for Employment. This set out the Government's response to the review in full and confirmed the agency status of the ES.
The ES, as part of the Department for Education and Employment, will provide as key element in our policies to improve
competitiveness relating to the work force. By bringing together active labour market policy, education and training into one Department, we will build on the achievements in recent years which have helped to reduce unemployment.
Jobfinder's Grants
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many jobfinder's grants have been awarded since its introduction in April (a) nationally and (b) by region; what is the average level of wage received and hours worked by each recipient of a grant; and what is the lowest level of wage rate per hour. [34808]
Mr. Forth: 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 M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Stephen Byers, dated 17 July 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about Jobfinder's Grants.
Jobfinder's Grant are one off payments, available to assist people who have been unemployed for over two years to return to work. The following table shows the number of Jobfinder's Grants awarded nationally and by Employment Service Region since the programme was introduced on 18 April (22 May in Yorkshire and Humberside Region, where a more flexible variant to the programme is being piloted) up to 7 July, the latest date for which figures are available.
Jobfinder's grant
|Grants awarded (up
|to 7 July)
---------------------------------------------------------------
National total |1,898
London and South East |234
South West |175
Wales |115
West Midlands |295
North West |285
Scotland |149
Northern |163
Yorkshire and Humberside |92
East Midlands and Easter |390
Information on the average level of wage received and hours worked by recipients is not available. The programme is designed to help very long term unemployed people overcome financial difficulties that could deter them from taking relatively low paid jobs. Checks are made that the gross pay in each case is below the specified upper limit of £150 per week (£250 per week in Yorkshire and Humberside Region).
I hope this is helpful.
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to which Department the staff investigating benefit fraud have been allocated following the abolition of the Department of Employment. [35217]
Mr. Forth: Investigations of benefit fraud remains a responsibility of the Employment Service, which has transferred to the new Department for Education and Employment. This position is currently under review and an announcement will be made shortly.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Maxwell Pensioners
12. Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the pensions of the Maxwell pensioners are now secure. [32775]
Mr. Heald: The £276 million Maxwell settlement achieved in March has secured the position of the overwhelming majority of Maxwell pensioners. This successful outcome has been made possible by the measures taken by the Government and Sir John Cuckney's exceptional work in arranging the settlement.
Income Support
13. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people over retirement age he estimates are currently not taking up income support payments to which they are entitled. [32776]
Mr. Roger Evans: The latest estimate is that between 480,000 and 860,000 people over 60 who were entitled to income support did not take this up. This estimate is subject to the limitations of the survey data on which it is based.
The most recent estimates of income-related benefits take-up were published on 20 January 1995 and are for the year 1992.
Social Security Reforms
14. Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the long-term effect on public spending of the social security reforms he has announced so far. [32777]
Mr. Lilley: Long-term savings from reforms announced so far will amount to £14 billion a year.
Personal Pensions
15. Mr. Booth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to make personal pensions more attractive for more people. [32778]
Column 997
Mr. Heald: The Pensions Bill, which has just completed its passage through Parliament, fulfils an election pledge to make personal pensions attractive across a broader age range. It makes it worthwhile for most current personal pension holders to maintain a personal pension throughout their working life.
Order Book Fraud
16. Mr. Dunn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he is taking to reduce order book fraud. [32779]
Mr. Lilley: I have recently announced a comprehensive programme of activities, which combine to secure the benefit system through increased accuracy and control and greatly reduced opportunities for abuse. The programme will virtually eliminate all instrument of payment fraud.
My Department takes order book fraud very seriously. Our investigators are increasingly effective at detecting and stopping fraud in this area. We will continue to bear down on fraud and abuse through increased use of information technology; more secure payment methods; and a robust system of verification for claims and payments.
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