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Probate Offices

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the probate offices which the court service plans to close; and if he will make a statement. [13495]

Mr. Evans: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. David Lidington, dated 5 February 1996

Proposed Closure of Probate Offices
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about Probate Offices.
The recommendation that a number of Probate Offices should close follows a review of the locations in England and Wales where a probate service is provided to personal applicants. A public consultation about these proposals began on 23 January 1996 and will conclude on 1 March 1996. Full consideration will be given to all comments received during the public consultation before the Lord Chancellor decides whether to proceed with these proposals.

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 66

The Probate Offices recommended for closure are:
Coventry
Kidderminister
Wolverhampton
Lichfield
Crewe
Stafford
Chichester
Chatham
Folkestone
Bath
Penzance
Newton Abbott
Colchester
Lowestoft
King's Lynn
Bradford
Harrogate
Huddersfield

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 67

Wakefield
Grimsby
Chesterfield
Doncaster
St. Helens
Southport
Wallasey
Barrow
Oldham
Stockport
Warrington
Wigan
Derby
Mansfield
Morpeth
Sunderland
Nelson
Workington
Scarborough
Darlington
Blackpool
Durham
Aylesbury
Bedford
Kettering
Cheltenham
Worcester
Basingstoke
Dorchester
Salisbury
Southampton
Bridgend
Newport
Pontypridd
Rhyl
Aberystwyth
Haverfordwest

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has for probate registries and probate offices to open to the public on Saturdays. [13496]

Mr. Evans: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. David Lidington, dated 5 February 1996:

Plans for Probate Registries and Probate Offices to open on Saturdays
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about probate registries and offices.
There are no plans to open any Court Service offices, including Probate Registries and Probate Offices, to the public on Saturdays.

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 68

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Access to Work

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many of those successfully applying for access to work over the past year were employed when applying; and how many were unemployed. [13135]

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 Mike Fogden to Mr. David Blunkett, dated 5 February 1996:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the numbers of employed and unemployed people successfully applying for Access to Work.

During the period January to December 1995 there were 9,393 new Access to Work beneficiaries. Of these 7,566 were employed and 1,827 were unemployed. For these purposes we count as "unemployed" those who did not have a job when they applied for Access to Work, and newly employed people who had gained that employment with help from Access to Work.
I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of access to work funding was given to those who (a) were employed when the applied for assistance and (b) were previously unemployed. [13134]

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 Mike Fogden to Mr. David Blunkett, dated 5 February 1996:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the proportion of Access to Work funding given to those who were (a) employed and (b) unemployed when they applied for assistance.
The Employment Service does not collect information about the proportion of funding given to employed and unemployed applicants. However, during the period January to December 1995, 81 per cent. of new Access to work beneficiaries were employed and 19 per cent. were unemployed. For these purposes we count as "unemployed" those who did not have a job when they applied for Access to Work, and newly employed people who had gained that employment with help from Access to Work.
I hope this is helpful.

Workstart

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what evaluation studies were carried out by her Department into the success of the workstart pilots; and if she will place copies in the Library. [13408]

Mr. Forth: I plan to publish the evaluation report on the current pilots, located in the west midlands and the north-west, at the end of this year. The evaluation reports of the initial pilots were published on 12 December 1994 and copies are available from the Library.

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 69

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will update the estimates given in the Department of Employment press release of 6 April 1995 on (a) the effect on public revenues of the workstart pilots and (b) the estimated numbers who will benefit from the scheme in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97, (iii) 1997-98 and (iv) 1998-99. [13410]

Mr. Forth: The two workstart pilots which began in April 1995 will continue to help long-term unemployed people into jobs until the end of March 1996. By then, it is estimated that those pilots will have helped some 800 people at an estimated final cost of £1.02 million.

Jobfinder Grant Scheme

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will update the estimates given by the Department of Employment press release of 29 November 1994 on (a) the effect on public revenues of the jobfinder grant scheme and pilots and (b) the estimated numbers who will benefit from the scheme in (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97, (iii) 1997-98 and (iv) 1998-99. [13407]

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 Mike Fogden to Mr. Chris Smith, dated 5 February 1996:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question which seeks an update on the estimated effect on public revenues and the number of people who will benefit from the Jobfinder's Grant in each of the following years 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99.
The table below sets out the expenditure and number of opportunities for this programme.

	(24)1995-96	(25)1996-97	(25)1997-98	(25)1998-99
Expenditure £ million	3.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
Opportunities	13,000	25,000	25,000	25,000




(24) Estimated outturn.

(25) Plan.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what evaluation studies were carried out by her Department into the success rate of the jobfinder grant pilots; and if she will place copies in the Library. [13406]

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 Mike Fodgen to Mr. Chris Smith, dated 5 February 1996:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the Jobfinder Grant pilots.
The following evaluation study has been carried out into the success of the Jobfinder Grant pilots:
Evaluation of the Jobfinders' Grant Demonstration Pilot Project by Joanne Moore, Peter Dickinson The Research Partnership September 1995

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 70

This report will be lodged in the House of Commons Library. It is currently available from the Research and Evaluation Division, Employment Service, Rockingham House, 123, West Street, Sheffield.
I hope this is helpful.

Jobmatch Scheme

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment is she will update the estimates given in the Department of Employment press release of 29 March 1995 on (a) the effect on public revenues of the jobmatch pilots and (b) the estimated numbers who will benefit from the scheme, giving figures for (i) 1995-96, (ii) 1996-97, (iii) 1997-98 and (iv) 1998-99. [13405]

Mr. Forth: The jobmatch programme started in April 1995 and is a three-year pilot. The total budget for 1995-96 is £5 million, and will benefit an estimated 3,000 people. The programme budget in 1996-97 will be £4.359 million, and for 1997-98, £4.354 million. In each of these years, jobmatch should continue to benefit an estimated 3,000 people.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what evaluation studies were carried out by her Department into the success of the jobmatch pilots; and if she will place copies in the Library. [13404]

Mr. Forth: "A Qualitative Study of Jobmatch", which sought to provide early feedback on the progress and operation of the pilots has been carried out. Copies of this report will be placed in the Library in March. Further evaluation of jobmatch is currently being conducted.

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