§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of youth training allowance, or equivalent, for 16 and 17–year-olds for every year between 1978–79 and 1993–94(a) in cash prices and (b) at 1978–79 prices.
§ Mr. McLoughlin[holding answer 7 December 1992]: Information about actual allowance levels is not available. The following tables show minimum allowance levels; providers of youth training can pay more.
(2) if she will amend the travel-to-interview scheme to enable applicants to claim for losses incurred in attending a second interview; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlinResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
161WLetter from J. Cooper to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 15 December 1992:
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, it is the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the Agency's Chief Executive to answer Parliamentary Questions about relevant operational matters. In his absence, I am replying to your questions about the Travel to Interview Scheme (TIS).TIS was introduced in 1986 to help with travel costs for unemployed people to attend job interviews beyond daily travelling distance of their home area, thus widening the applicant's jobsearch, improving their chances of obtaining work and encouraging labour mobility. From October 1991 to September 1992 the scheme helped 38,000 applicants. A few basic conditions must be met before assistance can be granted, to ensure that the limited funds available are concentrated on those unemployed people in most need.Assistance is normally given to clients in the form of a British Rail travel warrant, which they receive before attending the interview. Where clients choose to travel by car or are entitled to help with overnight subsistence costs they are reimbursed on their return from the interview. Payment is usually made in cash by our local Jobcentre or, if the amount to be reimbursed is quite large, then a girocheque will be sent to the client from our Regional Finance Offices. The Finance Office in Cardiff have a target of repayment within seven days and I am pleased to say that in almost all cases payment is made within five.You have asked about amending TIS to help applicants with assistance for second interviews. Whilst we realise it would be popular with jobseekers if help was available to cover the cost of repeat interviews, it could in practice be very costly. It may, for example, lead to the available funds having to be concentrated on a smaller number of people. We therefore limit the assistance to one interview per job. Where the selection process is a lengthy one we have to rely on the employer being sensitive to costs likely to fall on the applicant and offer help towards them.You may like to know that the scheme is currently under review and the eligibility conditions are being looked at to see whether, within the limited resources, there are ways of helping more people. The possibility of helping with second interviews is included in the review. As you will appreciate the recommendations for a change in the eligibility rules of the scheme are subject to Ministerial and Treasury approval. I hope that the decisions on this issue will be taken in the very near future.I hope this is helpful.As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report, I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.