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Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for (i) each of the past four years and (ii) the current year to date (a) the number of jobseeker's allowance recipients who have been interviewed and (b) the number subsequently awarded a nil benefit. [74159]
Mr. Andrew Smith [holding answer 4 March 1999]: 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. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 11 March 1999:
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The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your question about how many jobseekers, who receive Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), have been interviewed and how many, subsequently, had nil benefit awards. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Employment Service.
The Employment Service conducts many different types of interviews with jobseekers. These start at the new claims stage and develop as unemployment lengthens. The new jobseeker's interview is important in establishing whether jobseekers meet the labour market conditions for receiving JSA. It is normally at this stage that a Jobseeker's Agreement is drawn up and jobseekers are made aware of their responsibilities in order to receive JSA. Thereafter,
entitlement to JSA is reviewed at interviews every fortnight. We also use these opportunities to offer jobseekers further advice and help in their search for work. Jobseekers are also asked to attend a Restart Interview at regular six monthly intervals at which they are offered further advice and information about employment and training opportunities. Beyond this interviews may take place for a variety of other reasons.
Questions about a jobseeker's entitlement to JSA could arise at any of the interviews referred to above. In these instances, there may be a reference to an independent Adjudication Officer for a decision on benefit entitlement.
On the specific issue of nil benefit awards, since JSA was introduced in October 1996, the number of claims processed and the number of nil awards by operational year has been as follows:
| Claims processed | Nil awards | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 October 1996 to 31 March 1997 | 1,280,960 | 164,460 |
| 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 | 2,966,185 | 470,047 |
| 1 April 1998 to 31 January 1999 | 2,339,348 | 403,897 |
These figures are based primarily on information held by the JSA Payments System. The figures for the period ending 31 March 1997 include a small number of claims held on the income support computer system because they linked back to an earlier Income Support claim.
I hope this is helpful.
Higher Education
Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current ratio of school leavers to the numbers entering higher education. [75024]
Ms Estelle Morris: Information on the number of school leavers who entered higher education directly is not available centrally. In some cases, progression to HE will be direct from FE or tertiary college, and some students will enter after a year abroad or other sabbatical. The entry rate of young people to HE is measured by the Age Participation Index (API) which measures the chance of a young person entering full-time higher education before they are 21. In 1998-99 the API was in the range 30-32 per cent.
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many special schools he estimates will close as a result of the Programme of Action for meeting special educational needs. [74814]
Ms Estelle Morris: The Programme of Action makes it clear that we see a continuing and vital role for special schools. We want to build on their strengths and ensure that they are an integral part of an inclusive local education system for children in their area, and in some cases beyond. We recognise that some local education authorities may wish to propose changes to individual schools, both special and mainstream, to reflect changes in demand for special needs provision. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has, however, informed authorities that the Programme of Action should not be interpreted as providing justification on its own for making proposals to close special schools.
Grammar School Ballots
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on Trafford
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Borough Council's advice to parent teacher associations regarding the dissemination of information to parents who are involved in grammar school ballots. [75226]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Council's action is not contrary to the provisions in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The letter from the Chief Executive merely points out that it would be prudent for parent teacher associations with charitable status to check their constitutions before disseminating any information from lobby groups to ensure that their actions would not be in breach of Charity law.
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to reform school performance tables to allow schools to omit from their statistics those children who have been disregarded from SATs and public examinations by virtue of a statement of special educational needs. [75206]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
We have no current plans to treat pupils with special educational needs differently in performance tables. The inclusion of such pupils is supported by the Government's National Advisory Group on SEN.
Many pupils with special educational needs are academically able or on a par with other pupils, and to ignore their achievements would be wrong. Schools do face particular challenges, however, in achieving results in line with national expectations for most pupils with special educational needs. The performance tables include information on the number of such pupils on roll, so that this can be taken into account in evaluating school performance.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what assessment his Department has made of the improvements in employability of those passing through the New Deal programme; [75421]
(3) what percentage of those going through all stages of the New Deal for the young unemployed to date were without permanent employment at the end of the programme. [75423]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
[holding answer 8 March 1999]: 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. Graham Brady, dated 11 March 1999:
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Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the New Deal for the young unemployed in Hendon. [75782]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
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.
(2) allowing for displacement and substitution, what estimate his Department has made of the number of new jobs which have been created by the New Deal; [75422]
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply direct to your questions about the New Deal initiative for young people aged between 18 and 24. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
The very early evidence from the New Deal suggests that it is having a significant impact on participants' employability. Comparing the pathfinder areas, where the New Deal commenced
in January 1998, to the rest of the country, where it commenced in April 1998, the pathfinder areas showed a six percentage point higher flow of young people into jobs between January and April 1998.
In the longer term, as part of the overall evaluation of New Deal, we aim through a national survey of New Deal participants to make an assessment of employability in terms, for example, of improvements in basic skills and qualifications, increased work experience, increased levels of job search activity, increased levels of motivation and confidence about finding work and increased self-esteem. Findings from the first stage of the survey are expected to be available around September 1999; findings from the second stage around September 2000.
Turning to the number of jobs created by the New Deal, I should say that the New Deal was not planned as a job creation initiative. Its aim is to tackle long term unemployment among young people by improving their employability and helping them find jobs.
Finally, in respect of the percentage of young people without permanent employment at the end of their participation in New Deal, I should explain that the New Deal has a number of stages including Gateway, the options and a follow through period of support and guidance. Because New Deal only started nationally in April 1998 it is too early to evaluate what proportion of participants may not secure permanent employment at the end of their time on the programme. It may be helpful, however, to say that by December 1998 of the 214,300 young people who had started New Deal only 4,400 had started on the follow through period.
I hope this is helpful.
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