§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure available for the number of people who have found jobs through using the service of job clubs in Durham City jobcentre.
§ Mr. LeeThe job club based in Durham jobcentre was the first job club to open in Britain, in November 1984. Since that time, 579 people have attended the job club. Of these 395 (68 per cent.) actually left for jobs with an employer. This result represents a considerable achievement in helping long-term unemployed people.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the last 12 months for which figures are available have been through(a) job clubs and (b) Restart; and how many have (i) secured full-time employment or (ii) further retraining or educational opportunities.
§ Mr. LeeDuring the period 30 May 1988 to 26 May 1989, 2,220,611 Restart interviews were carried out. Of these, 1,949,570 resulted in an offer of positive help being made and 1,611,606 resulted in such an offer being accepted.
We do not know how many people ultimately end up in a job or other opportunity as a result of their Restart interview. However, many will be referred to job clubs.
During the 12 months from 1 June 1988 to 31 May 1989, 131,249 people went through the job club programme; 91,665 (or 70 per cent.) left for a positive outcome; 71,016 went into jobs and a further 20,649 went into training, education or a place on the enterprise allowance scheme.
Taken together, these two programmes represent a considerable achievement in helping long-term unemployed people.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of unemployment in the parliamentary constituency of Greenock and Port Glasgow.
§ Mr. LeeIn May 1989 the number of unemployed claimants in Greenock and Port Glasgow parliamentary constituency was 5,798 compared with 7,581 in May 1988, a fall of 1,783 or 23.5 per cent.