§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Paymaster General if a person refusing to attend an interview for a place on the proposed six-month training course for the long-term unemployed under 25 years of age will be liable for benefit sanctions.
§ Mr. LeeThe purpose of the new job training scheme is to help participants to acquire skills to compete on equal terms for the increasing number of job vacancies. Participation in the scheme will be voluntary and no benefit sanctions will be applied to people not wishing to take part.
This training scheme is only one of the range of opportunities which may be offered in the pilot areas at an interview under the restart scheme. People who fail to respond to a request to attend an interview at a jobcentre without good reason are under social security legislation liable to benefit sanctions.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Paymaster General (1) how many persons are presently eligible for the proposed six-month training course for the long-term unemployed under 25 years;
(2) in the case of the proposed six-month training course for the long-term unemployed under 25 years (a) how many places there will be on an annual basis, (b) how it will be funded, (c) who will provide training and (d) what qualifications it will lead to;
(3) if an element of work experience will be included in the proposed six-month training course for the long-term unemployed under 25 years.
§ Mr. TrippierJob training scheme pilot programmes will be open to adults unemployed for six months or more in the pilot areas. Some 50,000 people were in this category at the latest count.
The Manpower Services Commission is currently discussing the scale and nature of provision within the pilots with potential managing agents and I shall write to the hon. Member with further details when these are available. The costs of the pilots will be met from within the adult training budget.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Paymaster General if he will provide an update of the statistics published in July in the Official Report concerning the destinations of the long-term unemployed interviewed to date under the national restart programme.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Paymaster General how many persons have ceased to claim benefits as a result of being interviewed or after being called to interview under the national restart scheme.
§ Mr. LeeThe information is not available in the precise form asked for, but as at 11 September 1986 the number of people who had left the unemployed count (most of whom would have been receiving benefit) following invitation to a restart counselling interview or attendance at such an interview was 54,367.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Paymaster General if a person completing a course relating to the restart programme and failing to find full-time employment will remain classified as long-term unemployed for statistical and benefit purposes.
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§ Mr. LeePeople attending a restart course continue during their participation to claim and receive unemployment benefits to which they are entitled. Consequently there is no change to their classification statistically or for benefit purposes.