| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Jobcentres (Jobs Advertised)
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what was the average number of hours per week advertised for jobs in each jobcentre in England in the latest week for which figures are available;[17715]
- (2) what was the average number of jobs advertised in each jobcentre in England in each week from November 1996 to the latest week available; [17724]
(3) what percentage of jobs advertised in each jobcentre in England were for part-time work; and what percentage of jobs advertised in each job centre in England were for jobs specifying 40 hours or more in the latest week for which figures are available; [17716]
(4) what percentage of jobs advertised in each jobcentre in England were for permanent employment at the latest date for which figures are available; [17717]
3 Mar 1997 : Column: 470
(5) what was the average pay rate on offer at each jobcentre in England in the latest week for which figures are available; [17722]
(6) what was the lowest pay rate on offer at each jobcentre in England in the latest week for which figures are available. [17723]
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 Leigh Lewis to Mr. Peter Pike, dated 3 March 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the details of vacancies held at Employment Service Jobcentres in England. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received regarding numbers of students in higher education. [17727]
Mr. Forth:
My right hon. Friend regularly receives representations from a range of bodies and institutions on a number of higher education issues, including student numbers. Nearly one in three young people in Britain now enters full-time higher education, compared with one in eight in 1979. Our spending plans assume that this record participation rate will continue. Longer-term plans for student numbers will be decided in the light of recommendations from the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if, in the case of people refused incapacity benefit, her Department takes into account the information contained in the incapacity benefit application form regarding illness and incapacity, when applying the availability for work criteria to a claim for jobseeker's allowance. [17880]
3 Mar 1997 : Column: 471
Mr. Forth:
A decision on incapacity benefit that a person is capable of work also applies to jobseeker's allowance. While a person may be capable of work, we recognise that some people's mental or physical condition may restrict the type of work for which they are available. That is why under JSA a person with a mental or physical condition may restrict their availability for work in any way, provided that those restrictions are reasonable in the light of their condition.
In determining what is reasonable the Employment Service may, in cases of doubt, require more information about a condition which restricts availability. The IB disallowance notice sets out the level at which a person has been assessed and the functional areas in which limitations were identified; the ES may request this information from the jobseeker and this is normally sufficient. In the few cases where additional information is required an independent adjudication officer may approach the Benefits Agency Medical Service for further information about the condition. ES staff do not, however, have access to IB application forms when assessing a person's availability for work.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if fluctuating disability is taken into account under the jobseeker's allowance scheme when considering a person's availability for work.[17882]
Mr. Forth:
Under the provisions of the jobseeker's allowance a person with a mental or physical condition may restrict their availability for work in any way, provided that those restrictions are reasonably in the light of their condition. In determining what is reasonable the employment adviser will consider all the relevant aspects of a person's condition, including whether it is a fluctuating disability.
Mr. Alan Howarth:
To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to (a) EDS, (b) Andersens, (c) BMI, (d) Capita and (e) Sema since 1992 and the broad function to be carried out by the contractor and the value of the contract in each case. [17603]
The Attorney-General:
The Crown Prosecution Service has entered into the following contracts since 1 April 1993. 1
The Employment Service (ES) does not collect figures relating to the average weekly hours of vacancies held at Jobcentres, nor details relating to vacancies specifying forty hours or more per week.
I have arranged for a copy of a table to be placed in the Library, which shows the number of vacancies remaining unfilled at Jobcentres in England for the months of November 1996, December 1996 and January 1997. Vacancy statistics are collected on a monthly basis, rather than weekly, and published by the Office for National Statistics through the National Online Manpower Information System (NOMIS). A Nomis access point is located within the House of Commons Library.
A simple split of vacancies between those which are part-time or full-time is held on Nomis, but the latest available figures relate to January 1996. I regret that later figures are not currently available as a result of problems arising from the introduction of new computer systems but I expect that the Office for National Statistics will be able to resume quarterly publication later this year when the problems have been overcome.
Although the Employment Service does not collect regular figures on wage rates of vacancies held at Jobcentres, some national estimates are available from research. The latest available information relates to 1994 and was in the reply to your previous question which appeared in Official Report Column 907 dated 1 February 1996.
I hope this is helpful.
No other contracts have been awarded by any of my departments or agencies to any of the named contractors during that period. This does not include orders placed with the GCat catalogue operated by EDS.
(1) Detailed information prior to 1 April 1993 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
3 Mar 1997 : Column: 472
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Public Authority Contracts (VAT)
Mr. Allason: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the extent to which public authorities, with special reference to schools and hospitals, have disproportionately favoured non-VAT registered traders when issuing contracts. [18154]
Mr. Page: The information requested is not available as no assessments have been carried out of the extent to which public authorities contract with VAT registered and non-VAT registered traders.
The Audit Commission tells me that local education authorities--schools--can recover VAT on their non-business activities under section 33 of the Value Added Taxes Act 1994, so have little incentive to favour non-VAT registered traders.
For the NHS--hospitals--as for similar bodies such as banks which cannot recover their input VAT, there is an incentive to favour non-VAT registered businesses. The Audit Commission has no knowledge of this happening on a wide scale and the registration limit of £47,000 for VAT means that non-VAT registered traders may be involved only in very small scale contracts.
Mr. Couchman:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount raised from anti-dumping duties imposed by the EU on photocopiers in 1995. [17749]
Mr. Nelson
[holding answer 28 February 1997]: Anti-dumping duty on photocopiers amounting to £906,522 was collected by HM Customs and Excise in the UK in 1995. Information on the amount collected across the EU is being collated and will be placed in the Library of the House when available.
Mr. Couchman:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many anti-dumping duties have been imposed by the European Union (a) from 1980 to 1985, (b) from 1985 to 1990 and (c) since 1990. [17750]
3 Mar 1997 : Column: 473
Mr. Nelson
[holding answer 28 February 1997]: Definitive EU anti-dumping duties were applied to the following number of products in the periods in question:
Mr. Couchman:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the anti-dumping duties imposed for the periods (i) 1984 to 1990 and (ii) 1990 to 1996 in (a) the European Union, (b) the USA, (c) Australia and (d) Mexico. [17751]
Mr. Nelson
[holding answer 28 February 1997]: The table lists the definitive anti-dumping duties imposed in the European Union by year from 1984; 55 such duties were imposed between 1984 and 1989, and 98 between 1990 and 1996. Details of each duty were published in the Official Journal of the European Communities, for which references are given. This is available in the Library of the House. The annex does not list anti-dumping cases which were terminated or for which undertakings were obtained.
1980 to 1984: 40
1985 to 1985: 49
1990 to date : 99.
3 Mar 1997 : Column: 478
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |