HC Deb 29 July 1971 vol 822 cc763-4
9. Mr. Ashton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give, as a percentage of the total number of people who are placed in employment, those placed by his Department; and what estimate he has made of the percentage placed by agencies and through Press advertising, respectively.

The Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. Dudley Smith)

The best estimate we can make is about 20 per cent. A sample survey in 1967 suggested that, taking the employment field as a whole, about 35 per cent. were placed through advertising and 2 per cent. by private agencies.

Mr. Ashton

Is it not rather disturbing to hear that the Department is not having a great deal of success? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that it is obvious that unemployed people feel that there is much more chance of getting a job through advertisements in the Press and through agencies? Will he institute a commission of inquiry into this and bring some of the employment exchanges up to date, operating modern methods of placing people in work?

Mr. Smith

The figure is as big as ever it was and it compares pretty favourably with the United States where they have between 15 per cent. and 20 per cent. official placings, and 25 per cent. in Sweden where there is a total monopoly. We are not complacent about this. The hon. Gentleman probably knows that we are reviewing the whole of the employment services, and my right hon. Friend hopes to be able to announce his plans in the autumn.