HC Deb 26 July 1979 vol 971 cc443-4W
Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications for the temporary employment subsidy were made by firms in the wool textile industry in the years 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79; how many workers were covered by these applications; and what proportion of applications in each year was successful.

Mr. Jim Lester

I regret that information is not available for each year in the form requested. Following is the available information relating to firms classified under minimum list heading 414 of the standard industrial classification;

  1. i. Between 18 August 1975 and 31 March 1976: Applications covering 716 jobs were approved.
  2. ii. Between 1 April 1976 and 31 March 1977: Applications covering 5,876 jobs were approved.
  3. iii. Between 1 April 1977 and 31 March 1978: Applications covering 4,696 jobs were approved.
  4. iv. Between 1 April 1978 and 31 March 1979: 69 applications were received covering 3,932 workers. By 30 April 1979, the latest date for which figures are available, 77 per cent. of these applications had been approved and a further 16 per cent. of cases were still awaiting a decision.

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications for the temporary employment subsidy from firms in the wool textile industry have been referred to the Commission of the European Economic Community; and what proportion of these was (a) modified by the Commission and (b) turned down.

Mr. Jim Lester

One application for TES, from a firm classified under the minimum list heading 414 of the standard industrial classification—Woollen and Worsted—has been referred to the EEC Commission. The application was approved without modification.

Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications under the short-time working compensation scheme have been made by firms in the wool textile industry; and what proportion of these applications has been successful.

Mr. Jim Lester

Under the short-time working arrangements of the temporary employment subsidy scheme, at 30 March 1979, when the scheme closed for applications, 69 applications had been received from firms classified under minimum list heading 414 of the standard industrial classification—Wollen and Worsted—of which 59, or 85.5 per cent., were approved.

At 24 July 1979, under the temporary short-time working compensation scheme, which was introduced on 1 April 1979, 33 applications from firms coming under the same classification had been received, of which 20, or 60.5 per cent., had been approved, and a further 11 were still under consideration.