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Jobseekers
Mr. Charles Kennedy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will review the discretion open to local job centre managers in respect of
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those in receipt of the jobseeker's allowance wishing to participate in local job clubs; and if he will make a statement. [30026]
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. Charles Kennedy, dated 25 February 1998:
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what responsibilities the Careers Service has under the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds. [29208]
Mr. Andrew Smith
[holding answer 12 February 1998]: Responsibility in the delivery of the New Deal rests locally with New Deal partners. We have encouraged Careers Services to play a full role, either as individual companies or as part of consortiums, notably in the provision of careers advice during the Gateway.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received on his proposals in the Green Paper, Excellence for all Children, Meeting Special Education Needs to end the current consent arrangements in respect of placing individual children with a statement at non-approved independent schools. [29704]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Department is still analysing the responses to the Green Paper. When we have a fuller picture, I will write to the hon. Member.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many EBD special schools there are in each local education authority area in England. [29709]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Department's most recent estimate, based on material held on the Register of Educational Establishments, is that some 280 maintained and non-maintained special schools cater wholly or
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mainly for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in England. The distribution is contained in the following table:
The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your question on the discretion open to local Jobcentre managers in respect of those in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance wishing to participate in local Jobclubs. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Employment Service.
The eligibility requirement for entry to a Jobclub is that a person must be continuously unemployed for at least 26 weeks. This means they must have been signing at an Employment Service Jobcentre claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and/or National Insurance Credits, unless they have been in receipt of Income Support or Incapacity Benefit which do not require them to be signing on (for example, if they are sick or a lone parent). However, exceptions to the six months unemployment requirement are made for people with disabilities, ex-prisoners, former members of HM forces, people with literacy or numeracy difficulties, people needing basic training in English (and Welsh/Gaelic), labour market returnees and those who have become unemployed as a result of large scale redundancies.
I understand there are no plans currently to review these eligibility conditions.
I hope this is helpful.
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In addition, there are 89 independent schools with this specialty.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupil referral units there are in each local education authority area in England. [29710]
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Ms Estelle Morris:
The table shows the number of pupil referral units of which the Department has been notified for each local authority in England.
(10) Includes one PRU that is open, but the LEA proposes to close.
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