§ 52. Mrs. CurrieTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what further measures he will take to encourage the return of women to the work force; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThe Government are already taking many steps to facilitate the re-entry of women to the labour market, and will continue to do so. We also recognise that women who choose not to take paid work are doing an equally valuable job in looking after the family at home.
The Government are encouraging employers to adapt traditional working practices to accommodate the needs of women. This means more flexibility in hours of work and in holidays, job sharing, career breaks, part-time working and, where possible, help with child care costs.
All Government schemes to help the unemployed, to help inner cities and to help people set up their own businesses are open equally to women and men. Women returning to the labour market and certain single parents on order books can enter employment training, full or 233W part-time, without fulfilling the usual six-month unemployment eligibility condition. All lone parents on employment training can qualify for a child care allowance.
My Department's employment service has produced a special leaflet to tell women interested in returning to work about available opportunities and schemes.
My Department is also jointly undertaking a major project with BBC radio's "Woman's Hour" aimed at providing information and practical assistance to women returners. The project, which will be called "Back to the Future", will consist of eight conferences, each attended by 120 women on the following subjects: Being Personally Effective; Selling Yourself; Retraining; Working for Yourself; Getting that Job; Managing Money; Flexible Working and Childcare; Planning Your Life. The conferences, the first of which takes place in London on 22 January, will be run in tandem with "Woman's Hour" programmes, publicity material, visits by the Employment Department action bus and a national telephone helpline.