§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if she will list those jobcentres in Scotland where no provision is made for the job interview guarantee scheme;.
(2) what has been the total level of expenditure in Scotland on the job interview guarantee scheme.
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§ 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.
Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mrs. Margaret Ewing, dated November 1992:
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions about Jobcentres in Scotland where no provision is made for the Job Interview Guarantee (JIG) initiative and about expenditure on JIG in Scotland. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.The Job Interview Guarantee initiative is not a feature of Jobcentre services in the following locations:Annan, Lockerbie, Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Sanquhar, Girvan, Stranraer, Newton Stewart, Oban, Campbeltown, Rothesay, Dunoon, Peebles, Galashiels, Hawick, Kelso, Eyemouth, Banff, Elgin, Forres, Fort William, Kirkwall, Nairn and Peterhead.The initiative offers a range of services to people looking for jobs and to employers with vacancies to fill. The most popular service involves matching unemployed people to notified vacancies and whilst this is not available under the Job Interview Guarantee initiative in the above locations, many of these Jobcentres do offer services which match unemployed people against employer's vacancies. My area managers also keep the position under review and if they identify a demand for the initiative in a particular location, they do their best to meet itTurning to your question about expenditure on the Job Interview Guarantee initiative in Scotland. Since April 1991 when Job Interview Guarantee was launched we estimate that expenditure amounts to £1,660,000I hope this is helpfulAs 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.