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School Security
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many persons have been (a) challenged and (b) apprehended for being found in (i) a school or college building and (ii) the precincts of a school or college, without any lawful authority, in each eduction authority area for each month in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [34843]
Mr. Robin Squire: This information is not collected centrally.
Unemployed Claimants
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many claimants in 1995-96 were referred to (a) jobplan workshops, (b) restart courses and (c) workwise and worklink; and for each how many attended and what were the outcomes; [35276]
- (2) how many claimants had reductions in their income support for non-attendance or failure to complete (a) jobplan workshops, (b) restart courses and (c) workwise and worklink. [35275]
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 Robert Horne to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 1 July 1996:
1 Jul 1996 : Column: 292
The Secretary of State has asked me, in the absence of the Chief Executive, to reply to your questions to her about Jobplan, Workwise and Worklink and Restart Courses.
The attached tables show how equal many claimants were referred to Jobplan, Workwise and Worklink and Restart Courses in 1995-96, how many attended and the outcomes.
The responsibility for adjudication on people who fail to attend or complete these programmes rests with the Benefits Agency (BA). In approximately 90% of cases that are adjudicated upon a reduction of either 40% or 20% of personal Income Support is applied. Details of the total number of disallowances by programme are included in the table.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many claimants are currently participating in the voluntary jobsearch element of the project work pilots. [35284]
I hope this is helpful.
1995-96 Jobplan Restart courses Workwise/link
Referrals 339,419 190,866 65,252
Starters 165,012 104,686 27,635
Outcomes
Jobs 7,542 4,301 2,971
ES/TEC/LEC programmes 41,811 21,899 7,158
Other 9,022 4,589 1,796
Total outcomes 58,375 30,789 11,925
BA decisions
Deductions in personal IS 37,891 24,505 11,231
Mr. Forth: The most recent figures available, covering the period from the start of the pilots up to 13 June, show a total of 2,012 people in the Hull and Medway and Maidstone pilot areas have had their initial restart interview, and entered the first 13 weeks of the pilot process.
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many claimants have participated in each of the four jobmatch pilots in each quarter since inception; and what have been the outcomes of those who completed. [35283]
Mr. Forth: The following table gives the number of long-term unemployed people who have participated in each of the four jobmatch pilots. The table shows the number of new participants in each 12 week period since the pilots began on 3 April 1995 and until 24 May 1996.
1 Jul 1996 : Column: 291
| Period | London (ES) | North West England (ES) | North London TEC | Lincolnshire TEC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-12 | 118.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 59.00 | 338.00 |
| Weeks 13-24 | 334.00 | 125.00 | 131.00 | 61.00 | 651.00 |
| Weeks 25-36 | 782.00 | 182.00 | 162.00 | 69.00 | 1,195.00 |
| Weeks 37-48 | 651.00 | 85.00 | 110.00 | 41.00 | 887.00 |
| Weeks 49-60 | 571.00 | 137.00 | 141.00 | 53.00 | 902.00 |
| Total | 2,456.00 | 611.00 | 623.00 | 283.00 | 3,973.00 |
1 Jul 1996 : Column: 291
Information is not yet available on the employment status and experience of participants in the period after the jobmatch allowance ceases. A follow-up survey of participants is being conducted from which results will be available next year.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many restart interviews took place in 1995-96; and from these how many claimants (a) were placed in a job, (b) claimed other benefits and (c) entered other programmes and signed off the claiming benefit. [35281]
1 Jul 1996 : Column: 292
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. Terry Rooney, dated 1 July 1996:
1 Jul 1996 : Column: 293
(1) Jobclub, Business Start-Up, Restart Course, Training for Work, JIG, Work Trials, JSS, Jobplan, Job Review Workshop, Workwise, Community Action.
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.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of Restart interviews which took place in 1995/96 and the outcomes from them. This falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of the Employment Service.
I have set out the information you have requested in the table below. It may be helpful if I explain the scope and purpose of the Restart interviews which are offered at regular six monthly intervals as part of an advisory and information service aimed at helping people back into work. These interviews provide clients with the opportunity to discuss with a Client Adviser the steps they are taking to find work, how to access the employment and training opportunities that are available to them, and the course of action which, if followed, will offer the best prospects of returning to work.
1995-96 Total
Total Restart Interviews 3,271,561
Job Placings 54,903
Family Credit and Other Benefit Starts 64,124
Programme Starts(1) 764.886
Sign Offs as a direct result of Advisory action 117,644
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many claimants were (a) referred to 1-2-1 interviews in 1995-96, (b) attended and completed these interviews and (c) received sanctions for non-attendance or failure to complete their programme. [35280]
While the primary aim of this service is to help people back into work, advisers also have a duty to make sure those claiming benefit understand and comply wit the conditions under which they are paid. These conditions require people to be available to start work immediately; not to place such restrictions on the work they are willing to do as to leave them with no real prospects of finding a job; and to take those steps, each week, which offer the best prospects of obtaining work.
As part of this process, advisers ensure that people are claiming the most appropriate benefit. If, during an interview, discussions between the client and the adviser identify that an alternative benefit is more appropriate, then the adviser will ensure a smooth transition to the correct benefit.
I should emphasise that the figures shown in the table represent only the immediate result of Restart interviews. Many other people subsequently take up a job or a place on an employment or training programme as a result of the guidance given to them at their interview. Independent researchers who have studied the Restart interview programme have all concluded that this indirect effect is extremely significant.
I hope this in helpful.
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