---

Employment Directions (EU)

Sir Ralph Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the directions relating to employment in force in the EU and indicate which are issued under the social chapter. [15990]

Mr. Paice: Fourteen directives relating to employment are currently in force in the EU. There are a number of other directives on health and safety at work.

Directives falling within the policy responsibilities of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment:

Council directive 75/117/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to the application of the principle of equal pay for men and women.

Council directive 76/207/EEC on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions.

Council directive 86/613/EEC on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity, including agriculture, in a self-employed capacity, and on the protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood.

Directives falling within the policy responsibility of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade:

Council directive 75/129/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to collective redundancies.

Council directive 77/187/EEC on the approximation of the laws of member states relating to the safeguarding of employees' rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of businesses.

Council directive 80/987/EEC on the approximation of the laws of member states relating to the protection of employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer.

Council directive 91/533/EEC on an employer's obligation to inform employees of the conditions applicable to the contract or employment relationship.

Council directive 92/56/EEC amending directive 75/129/EEC on the approximation of the laws of member states relating to collective redundancies.

Council directive 92/85/EEC on the introduction of measures to encourage the safety and health of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding--this directive includes provisions related to employment.

Council directive 94/104/EC concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time.

17 Feb 1997 : Column: 400

Council directive 94/33/EC on the protection of young people at work.

*Council directive 94/45/EC on the establishment of a European works council or a procedure in community-scale undertakings and community-scale groups of undertakings, for the purposes of informing and consulting employees.

*Council directive 96/34/EC on the framework agreement on parental leave concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC.

Council directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services.

Directives marked with an asterisk have been promulgated under the agreement on social policy, known as the social chapter, and are not, therefore, applicable to the UK.

Jobmatch Scheme

Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the estimated annual cost of the national jobmatch scheme for under-25-year-olds. [15800]

Mr. Forth: In 1997-98, the jobmatch scheme will offer 4,000 opportunities at a cost of some £4.8 million

Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of (a) the costs and (b) the numbers gaining if the jobmatch scheme for under-25-year-olds was available to those (i) unemployed for one year and (ii) unemployed for 26 weeks; and what is her estimate of the cost of reinstating bonus payments after 26 weeks in work. [15801]

Mr. Forth: To extend the availability of the jobmatch scheme to people under 25 who have been unemployed for one year would require some 10,000 opportunities at a cost of about £12 million; to extend it to those unemployed for 26 weeks would require up to 19,000 opportunities at a cost of some £23 million. To reinstate the additional payments in 1997-98 for young people unemployed for two years would cost about £300,000.

Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if Employment Service advisers will be authorised to issue a jobseeker's direction to a claimant aged 18 to 24 years directing him to apply for a part-time vacancy under the jobmatch scheme. [16124]

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 Leigh Lewis to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 17 February 1997:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about whether Employment Service Advisers have the authority to issue Jobseeker's Directions to 18 to 24 year old jobseekers for a part-time vacancy under Jobmatch. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

It may be helpful if I explain that the purpose of a Jobseeker's Direction is to make sure that jobseekers who may not be properly or effectively looking for work undertake a specific job search activity which will put them in a better position to find a job. A Jobseeker's Direction can fall into one of four categories:-- those which underpin active jobsearch; referral to Employment Service (ES) programmes; other referrals to non ES programmes (eg Training for Work); and a personal direction related to behaviour/appearance. A Direction will only be given if the jobseeker has gone through the usual advisory interview process,

17 Feb 1997 : Column: 401

and has not been influenced or persuaded to undertake a particular activity which is reasonable and will improve their chances of finding work.

It follows that an ES adviser would be able to issue a Jobseeker's Direction to a jobseeker aged 18-24, who has been employed for two years or more to apply for a part-time vacancy, which would qualify them for Jobmatch.

I hope this clarifies the position.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many unemployed people receiving the jobseeker's allowance are involved in self-build schemes; how many have been refused the jobseeker's allowance because they have been deemed unavailable for work while involved in self-build schemes; and what is her estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers who are aged (i) under 25 years and (ii) over 25 years from deeming availability during a period on a self-build project. [15830]

Mr. Forth: The Employment Service does not collect specific information about unemployed people who receive JSA and who participate in self-build schemes. It is not possible, therefore, to provide any of the estimates requested.

Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of (a) the costs and (b) the numbers of under-25-year-olds gaining from (i) the abolition of the 16-hour rule for the jobseeker's allowance, (ii) introducing part-time availability for work to those undertaking part-time study under the 16-hour rule and (iii) removing the requirement on those in part-time study to give up a course if suitable work is available until such time as the course has ended.[15803]

Mr. Forth: We have made no such estimates. The evaluation of the workskill pilots, which we plan to introduce on 7 April 1997, is intended to provide some information of this kind.

Bridging Allowance

Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people claimed the bridging allowance during 1995-96; what was the average period during which payments were made; and how many claims were refused, by reason for refusal.[15802]

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 Leigh Lewis to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 17 February 1997:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the number of young people claiming bridging allowance during 1995-96.

The Employment Service does not hold figures on the number of claims for Youth Training Bridging Allowance (YTBA) by young people; the average period during which payment is made; how many claims are refused or the reason for refusal.

17 Feb 1997 : Column: 402

The Employment Service does, however, record the total number of young people in receipt of YTBA. In the period April 1995 to March 1996 the total was 41,815.

I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.

School Uniforms

Sir Irvine Patnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which metropolitan cities have banned school uniforms from local education authority schools; when bans were originally enforced; and if she will make a statement. [16020]

Mrs. Gillan: Information about school uniform policies is not collected centrally. School governing bodies are free to decide for themselves whether their schools should have a uniform.

---