§ 19. Mr. EnrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of people who would lose entitlement to unemployment benefit in the current year if the period of entitlement were reduced from 12 months to six months.
§ Mr. BurtIt is estimated that a total of 240,000 unemployed people at any one point in time during the current operational year would lose unemployment benefit if the length of entitlement were reduced from one year to six months, although 150,000 would be eligible for income support.
§ Mr. EnrightAre not the unemployed paying for the incompetence of the Government's financial policies? Will the Minister give an assurance that if—as he and other Ministers are constantly stating—there is an upturn in the economy, he will instantly restore to the unemployed what is surely their right?
§ Mr. BurtThe Government are giving more practical help and advice than ever before to aid the unemployed to get work. The Employment Service is set to find 5,632 placements in each working day, having placed 1.4 million people in employment in 1992–93. Employment and training programmes are providing opportunities for 1.6 million people, which represents an increase of 50 per cent. on the past financial year. That is a good record.