§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list the numbers leaving the job release scheme, as an actual number and a s a percentage of total leavers, for each year of its operation, including those who left before completion of the scheme; if he will indicate those who went to work, those who went into further employment schemes and those who became unemployed; and, of these, if he will list the type and level of qualification each leaver obtained, including those who failed to obtain any qualification at all; [27507]
(2) if he will list the numbers attending and leaving the job release scheme, for each year of its operation, including those who left before the completion of the scheme. [27517]
§ Mr. PaiceThe aim of the job release scheme was to reduce the labour supply by subsidising the early withdrawal from the labour force of people who were approaching state pension age. As the objective was early retirement, no consideration was given to what happened to people after their allowance ended. I will write to the hon. Member to give further information on the programme.