27 Jun 1997 : Column: 647
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council what criteria are used to select individuals for membership of the Privy Council. [5621]
Mrs. Ann Taylor: Appointment to the Privy Council is an exercise of the prerogative. Appointments are made by Her Majesty The Queen on the advice of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. A range of factors are taken into account. Those appointed mostly comprise Ministers, other Parliamentarians and members of the judiciary.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people aged 17 to 25 years are claiming the jobseeker's allowance in Portsmouth; and what this figure is as a percentage of all those in the age group. [4741]
Mr. Alan Howarth: 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. Mike Hancock, dated 27 June 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many people aged 17 to 25 years are claiming the Jobseeker's Allowance in Portsmouth and what this figure is as a percentage of all those in the age group.
The numbers of claimants are collated by two age groupings: 17 to 24 and 25 to 29 year olds. The table below show the number of claimants at the April 1997 count.
In the Parliamentary Constituency of Portsmouth South, the numbers were:
Claimants | Male | Female | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Aged 17-24 | 771 | 288 | 1,059 |
Aged 25-29 | 608 | 133 | 741 |
Claimants | Male | Female | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Aged 17-24 | 572 | 193 | 765 |
Aged 25-29 | 344 | 79 | 423 |
27 Jun 1997 : Column: 648
In the Local Authority Area of Portsmouth the numbers were:
Claimants | Male | Female | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Aged 17-24 | 1,255 | 450 | 1,705 |
Aged 25-29 | 901 | 201 | 1,102 |
Source: 1991 Census of Population.
I hope this is helpful.
Unfortunately, a percentage of 17-24 year unemployed claimants as a proportion of the entire workforce in that age group cannot be given, due to the age criteria used to compile the Population Census survey. However, I give below figures of all young people by available age group:
Age group Male Female Total
16-17 862 808 1,670
18-19 1,414 1,169 2,583
20-24 4,816 4,604 9,420
25-29 4,933 4,558 9,491
Age group Male Female Total
16-17 1,348 1,246 2,594
18-19 1,402 1,359 2,761
20-24 3,793 3,825 7.618
25-29 4,224 4,479 8.703
Age group Male Female Total
16-17 1,907 1,746 3,653
18-19 2,484 2,203 4,687
20-24 7,919 7,736 15,655
25-29 8,439 8,212 16,651
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will place in the Library a copy of the documentation which has been issued to the staff of the Employment Service relating to the measures that they should take to encourage the long-term unemployed to opt for Government training programmes.[5388]
Mr. Alan Howarth: 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. Brian H. Donohoe, dated 27 June 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the documentation issued to Employment Service staff relating to the measures they should take to encourage the long term unemployed to opt for government training programmes. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
Guidance on all aspects of dealing with jobseekers following the introduction of the Jobseeker's Allowance was issued to Employment Service staff in October 1997 and amendments issued when appropriate. Copies of the guides are held in the Library.
27 Jun 1997 : Column: 649
Mr. Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average charge per pupil for school meals in the last year for which figures are available. [5439]
Ms Estelle Morris: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for changes in the procedure for applying for a visitor's visa; and when he plans to introduce an appeal procedure. [5093]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Our manifesto commits us to providing a streamlined system of appeals for visitors denied a visa. We are examining the options for doing this.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will identify by name, rank and number those Indonesian military, security, police and paramilitary police personnel invited by the (a) Home Office and (b) the Association of Chief Police Officers to attend the International Police and Security Expo 97.[5699]
Mr. Michael: Neither the Home Office nor the Association of Chief Police Officers is aware of any invitation being issued to Indonesian personnel to attend the International Police and Security Expo 97.
Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received concerning alcopops. [5615]
Mr. George Howarth:
As Chairman of the Ministerial Group on Alcopops, I have received letters from and am holding meetings with the licensed trade and other interested organisations about underage drinking, industry self-regulation and options for Government action. I expect to make an announcement in July.
27 Jun 1997 : Column: 650
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assistance the Welsh Office Overseas Trade Services section has given to the individual companies who are exhibitors at the International Police and Security Expo 97. [5698]
Mr. Hain: The Department is not aware of the companies who are exhibiting at this exhibition. Assistance has not been given in respect of this particular event.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that assistance from the Welsh Office Overseas Trade Services section is not provided for the sale of military, security and police equipment to overseas regimes which do not respect the human rights of their citizens. [5695]
Mr. Hain: The Government will not permit the export of arms and related equipment to regimes which it is thought will use them for internal repression. That commitment is reflected in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's decisions on individual export licence applications.
The Welsh Office's Overseas Trade Services section has no role in the consideration of export licence applications.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment the Welsh Office Overseas Trade Services section has given to the organisers of the International Police and Security Expo 97. [5697]
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with (a) the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency and (b) the chairman of the Development Board for Rural Wales, with regard to the strategy each is adopting for the fibre-optic cabling of Wales; what assistance he has made of the compatibility of the strategies of the two bodies; and if he will make a statement. [5819]
Mr. Hain:
Neither I nor my right hon. Friend have as yet met the Chairman of the Welsh Development Agency or the Chairman of the Development Board for Rural Wales to discuss the specific issues referred to.
Both bodies are however working alongside the Department in an effort to ensure that all areas of Wales have access to modern telecommunications infrastructure.
The hon. Member raised the issue of broadband telecommunications in Wales during the adjournment debate on 18 June 1997, and I undertook to write to him fully on the matter. I shall be doing so shortly and will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure that the establishment of fibre-optic cable links with Ireland gives rise to similar links to north-west Wales; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy for extending cable links to the rural areas of Wales. [5818]
27 Jun 1997 : Column: 651
Mr. Hain:
I am concerned to ensure that all areas of Wales benefit from a good telecommunications infrastructure. However, the question of individual links is a matter for the telecommunications companies concerned.
I will write to the hon. Member on this matter and place a copy of my reply in the Library.
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