§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new claimants signed on each week of 1989 at the Cumnock unemployment benefit office; what delays there are in interviewing them; what requests have been received for additional staff; and what has been his response.
§ Mr. EggarThe number of new claimants who signed on each week of 1989 is shown in the table. Claimants are generally interviewed within three days of making a n appointment.
The area manager responsible for Cumnock met with the trade union side on 2 October to discuss issues including staffing numbers throughout the area including Cumnock. It was subsequently agreed that an additional executive officer would be posted into the Cumnock office from 13 November 1989.
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Claims taken at Cumnock UBO from January 1989 to present Week ending: Number of claims taken 6 January 28 13 January 185 20 January 78 27 January 67 3 February 68 10 February 68 17 February 38 24 February 49 3 March 85 10 March 54 17 March 56 24 March 48 31 March 46 7 April 48 14 April 79 21 April 56 29 April 48 5 May 39 12 May 47 19 May 78 26 May 52 2 June 100 9 June 78 16 June 103 23 June 129 30 June 86 7 July 129 14 July 49 21 July 46 28 July 71 4 August 51 11 August 53
Week ending: Number of claims taken 18 August 83 25 August 46 1 September 73 8 September 74 15 September 71 22 September 50 29 September 42 6 October 91 13 October 67 20 October 69 Note: These figures represent the numbers of new claims for which a national insurance number if readily available input to the Computer. Details of the number of non-computer claims are not available.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current establishment, at each grade, of the unemployment benefit office at Cumnock; how many deal directly with interviewing of new claimants; what representations he has received concerning the lack of staff to deal with claimants; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarThe number of staff in each grade is as follows:
Number Higher executive officer 1 Executive officer 13 Administrative officer 14 Administrative assistant 5 Casual administrative assistant 1 1 Of which one is an administrative officer on temporary promotion. One executive officer deals directly with new claimants, with a second executive officer having an element of interviewing within his post. Area management met with the trade union side on 2 October to discuss area issues including staffing requirements. It has subsequently been agreed that the third executive officer post would be filled on a permanent basis.
Women aged 60–64 years inclusive (thousands, spring 1988) United Kingdom Scotland All (000s) of which: married (000s) All (000s) of which: married (000s) All women aged 60–64 1,515 1,031 141 88 of which: in employment 282 196 24 15 full time1 86 53 10 —2 part time 1 196 143 14 —2 Source: Department of Employment, preliminary 1988 labour force survey estimates.
1Based on the respondent's own assessment, not on the number of hours actually worked.
1Estimate not shown: less than 10,000 in cell.