HC Deb 03 July 1990 vol 175 cc527-9W
Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate for 1988 and 1989 the number of claimants without paid jobs who (i) had not looked for work in the last week, (ii) had not looked for a job in the last four weeks, (iii) were not available for work within the next two weeks, (iv) were in categories (i) and (iii) and (v) were in categories (ii) and (iii) and in each case, were(a) looking after family/home, (b) long-term sick or disabled, (c) believed no jobs available, (d) retired, (e) studying and (f) other.

Mr. Nicholls

The information cannot be extracted from standard tabulations and is available only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed claimants in each month since 23 February have been(a) issued with warning letters for not actively seeking work, (b) had their claims referred to an adjudicating officer for not actively seeking work, (c) had their claims (i) allowed and (ii) disallowed, (d) where the claim has been disallowed, the numbers who were (i) successful or (ii) unsuccessful in

Claimants (Aged 18 and Over) Not in Employment, Spring 1989
Great Britain, thousand
(i) would not like work (ii) would like work but not available in next two weeks (iii) would like work, available but not looked for work in the last four weeks
All Persons (100 per cent.) 130 per cent. 90 per cent. 110 per cent.
—looking after family/home 32 14 13
—long term sick/disabled 18 11 9
—retired 14 1 2
—did not want/need work 14 1 1
—believes no jobs available 2 1 31
—studying 2 2 1
—awaiting a job 1 2 1
—not yet started looking 1 1 2
—other/no reason 1 64 35
1 not requested.
2 less than 10,000.

Notes: Figures are individually rounded to the nearest 10,000.

The reconciliation of the claimant count with the claimant figures obtained from the 1989 LFS has been affected by an improvement

claiming reduced income support, (e) where an adjudication decision is pending, the numbers who have been (i) successful, and (ii) unsuccessful in claiming reduced income support and (f) have been referred to an adjudication officer for refusing employment; how many of those in (f) have had their benefit disqualified; and if he will provide the figures for Great Britain, each region, and area adjudication sections in London.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 28 June 1990]: The Employment Service became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service Agency's chief executive, will be replying in writing to the hon. Gentleman to parts (a), (b), (c) and (f). Parts (d) and (e) are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.

Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment using the labour force survey 1989, if he will estimate the number of claimants unemployed who would like work, were available for it and had sought it in the last four weeks, or were waiting to start a new job.

Mr. Nicholls

Information from the 1989 labour force survey indicates that there were 1,270,000 claimants without a paid job who were available for work, and had sought it in the last four weeks, or were waiting to start a job already obtained.

Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate, using the labour force survey 1989, the number of claimants unemployed who (i) would not like work and of these, the percentages with(a) care responsibilities, (b) long-term sick, disabled, (c) retired, (d) did not want or need work, (e) believed no jobs available and (f) studying, (ii) would like work but are not available in the next two weeks and, of these, the percentages (a) with care responsibilities, (b) long-term sick or disabled, (c) studying, (d) awaiting a job, (e) other and (iii) would like work and are available but have not sought work in the last four weeks, and the percentages (a) with care responsibilities, (b) thought no jobs available, (c) long-term sick or disabled, (d) not yet started to look, (e) retired and (f) other.

Mr. Nicholls

Available estimates from the preliminary results of the 1989 labour force survey are shown in the table:

in the design of the questionnaire and also by the change in benefit regulations for under 18 year olds in September 1988. As a result, the reconciliation has been restricted to claimants aged 18 and over.

Source: Derived with reference to both the claimant count and the 1989 Labour Force Survey results.