§ 4. Mr. AshbyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job clubs have been established in the United Kingdom.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Employment (Mr. Tim Eggar)At 28 February this year, there were 994 job clubs in Great Britain.
§ Mr. AshbyWill my hon. Friend confirm that more than half the people who enter job clubs find jobs and that in the past five years some 200,000 people have come out of job clubs into jobs? Is not that a good record?
§ Mr. EggarI can, indeed, confirm that. In addition to the 216,000 people who found jobs via job clubs, a further 55,000 have gone into training or some type of full-time education. I recommend that hon. Members on both sides of the House who have not already done so should go and see their local job clubs in action. They are an impressive way of getting people back into jobs.
§ Mr. SkinnerIs the Minister aware that there is a Westminster job club for people who are after the Prime Minister's job? How many Tory Members, Cabinet Ministers and ex-Cabinet Ministers have joined that job club? Will the Minister be one of those voting for the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine)?
§ Mr. EggarOne thing is absolutely certain. Hon. Members on neither side of the House would want to be advised on their job club search by the hon. Gentleman.
§ Mr. Simon CoombsDoes my hon. Friend agree that job clubs in those parts of the country where unemployment is low have a problem dealing with clients who have difficulties with reading and writing? To what extent could increased efforts be made to help people with such difficulties to find the confidence to go out and obtain jobs?
§ Mr. EggarYes, indeed. This is a growing problem. We have started some 15 pilot job clubs which specialise in helping people with literacy and numeracy difficulties and with difficulties with English as a second language. The preliminary statistical evidence of the results of those job clubs has been that as many people have found jobs from them as from job clubs in general.