HC Deb 12 November 1996 vol 285 cc137-8
1. Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the introduction of the jobseeker's allowance. [1697]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security (Mr. Roger Evans)

The jobseeker's allowance is now in operation and will achieve its objectives by helping people back to work and securing better value for money for the taxpayer.

Mr. Clifton-Brown

Does my hon. Friend agree that the introduction of the JSA is absolute proof that the Government are determined to devote the necessary resources to getting people back to work and preventing fraudulent claims? Is that not in total contrast to the Opposition, who are pledged to repeal the JSA?

Mr. Evans

My hon. Friend makes two powerful points. The hon. Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney) is on the record as saying that it is Labour party policy to repeal the JSA. That would cost £240 million in 1997–98. Let us hear what the Opposition now say.

Mr. McNamara

The Under-Secretary will be aware that the experiment took place in Hull. Will he be kind enough to tell the House how many people are now in full-time employment as a result of the experiment, and of those who had placements, how many had placements in private industry, as distinct from community employment?

Mr. Evans

The hon. Gentleman is referring to the current project work pilots which have been tried out in several areas, including Kingston upon Hull, as he mentioned. With respect to the three pilots in Hull, Medway and Maidstone, it is striking that more than 4,000 people joined the pilots, more than 1,200 have been through the first 13 weeks of intensive help, 263 have been placed directly into a job during their first 13 weeks, and 68 during their period of work experience. It is, however, startling that about one third of those referred for work experience failed to turn up for their first day of work experience.

Sir Donald Thompson

My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that I have spoken about the new scheme to people who work in jobcentres in my constituency. Will he give careful consideration to letters that come from all parts of the House as the new scheme is introduced, and accelerate his response to those letters, as there are likely to be administrative hitches that will need sorting out if this excellent scheme is to gain approbation?

Mr. Evans

The jobseeker's allowance is an enormous project, involving more than 30,000 officials and a new computer system. We are closely monitoring the project as it comes into operation, and will carefully attend to administrative problems, whether we are alerted to them by hon. Members or others.