§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the details of the financial assistance available to job clubs in the Durham North district to assist them in the provision of services for people with disabilities; and what were the amounts spent during the last financial year. [15997]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility 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 Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 28 March 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about financial assistance available to Jobclubs in the Durham North District to assist people with disabilities.The cost of Jobclub provision in Durham North District between April 1994 and February was £161,940. Separate records on the cost of providing facilities for people with disabilities are not maintained.There are seven Jobclubs within the Durham North District, none of which are specifically for any particular client group. People with disabilities are encouraged to use the standard provision and where necessary specialist help, for example communicators for the deaf and personal readers or specialist equipment is available via our Placing Assessment and Counselling Teams (PACTs).During the period April 1994 to February, 111 people, who have indicated that they have a long term health problem or disability which affects the kind of work they are able to do, have attended Jobclubs in the Durham North District. None of these clients required extra assistance from the PACT to enable them to utilise facilities in the Jobclubs.I hope this is helpful.