Jobcentres (Hansard, 3 May 1988)

§ 6. Mr. Kennedy
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to extend the range of practical facilities available in jobcentres for use by the unemployed; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Lee
The setting up of the employment service brought jobcentres and unemployment benefit offices under a common management. We are now undertaking a series of pilot studies across the country to test various approaches and integrating the range of services offered locally by the employment service. Our aim is to provide better and more coherent help to unemployed people.

§ Mr. Kennedy
I thank the Minister for that reply. I make the plea to him that when those reviews are undertaken he should bear in mind the specific problem of additional overheads which unemployed people face when pursuing available employment in areas such as the Highlands of Scotland. I quote, for example, employment in the offshore oil industry, which is often advertised in Aberdeen. This creates special problems for the unemployed person telephoning or trying to visit Aberdeen for a job interview. Will the Minister bear such factors in mind when making his review?

§ Mr. Lee
We shall certainly take into account all the problems that the hon. Gentleman raises, as well as specific problems that arise in rural areas, including the Highlands. In 1982–83 we offered a free telephone service to job seekers. Frankly, it was not a popular scheme and was subject to some abuse, so the service was withdrawn. Jobcentre staff are there to make telephone calls to prospective employers on behalf of those who are unemployed.

§ Mr. Rowe
Does my hon. Friend accept that in areas such as Mid-Kent, where unemployment is falling very steeply, there may be a temptation, perfectly properly, to cut jobcentre staff, but that many of the people who now need help in finding employment through jobcentres are harder to place and require more counselling and assistance? Will he take those considerations into account when reviewing overall staffing facilities?

§ Mr. Lee
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are trying to improve and upgrade our service wherever possible. We have about 40,000 permanent staff employed at jobcentres and unemployment benefit offices across the country.

§ Mr. Meacher
Is the Minister aware that the latest change in the availability for work rules introduced last week will reduce the unemployment figures by, it is estimated, about 50,000 in a full year? Is that not typical of the changes by which the dole figures have been artificially reduced by the Government? If one takes into account all the changes brought about by restart and the availability for work rules, is not at least half the drop in unemployment claimed by the Government explained by such artificial devices?

§ Mr. Lee
I think that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has dealt with the ridiculous points that the hon. Gentleman is making, and there is no need for me to add in reply to them.

§ Mrs. Gorman
Will my right hon. Friend accept my congratulations on having identified at least 500 people who, it was announced at the weekend, had been defrauding the social security system by claiming benefit while in employment? Will he accept my wish that he will continue to prosecute that wing of the population? Does he agree that it would be right to bring all those people to justice by taking them to court, just as a small business man who is not registered by the Data Protection Act 1984 will be prosecuted simply for not filling up a form?

§ Mr. Lee
Conservative Members are, of course, anxious to ensure that those who are genuinely entitled to employment benefit, and welfare benefits generally, receive them. We are, however, determined to stamp out fraud and abuse, and there have been a number of very successful campaigns recently, including the one mentioned by my hon. Friend.