§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what are the forecast savings to the Employment Service of closing down the afternoon session of the Liverpool and Wirral executive job club; [24144]
(2) when the Liverpool and Wirral executive job club opened. [24145]
§ Mr. ForthResponsibility for the subject of the questions 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 Mike Fogden to Mr. Frank Field, dated 1 April 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your two written questions concerning the forecast saving to the Employment Service (ES) by the closure of the afternoon session of the Liverpool and Wirral Executive Jobclub, and the date the Jobclub opened. I am responding to both questions in this reply.The ES continually monitors its network of programme providers to ensure the quality of provision, and that this network offers adequate coverage for its clients.With the continuing fall in eligible clients numbers throughout the Wirral and the region as a whole the ES has to ensure that its providers of services offer value for money.Forecasts of savings to the ES of the closure of any programme sites are not made. This is in part due to the financial system of payment agreed with the provider at the contracting stage. I can say that the total Jobclub budget allocation for the Wirral ES District for the 1995/96 financial year is £383,102.30WWhere a decision is made to close a particular programme site, every effort is made to find alternative programme provision, where possible, for the remaining clients.Wirral Executive Jobclub opened in October 1994 with both morning and afternoon sessions and it is planned to close the afternoon session from the 1 June. However the morning Jobclub session will remain open, thus maintaining an Executive Jobclub within the area.I hope this is helpful.
§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what measures her Department is taking to fulfil its obligations to the unemployed as outlined in the jobseeker's charter in the Liverpool and Wirral area; [24143]
(2) if she will make a statement on the minimum number of hours a job club should be open under the jobseeker's charter. [24142]
§ Mr. ForthResponsibility for the subject of the questions 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 Mike Fogden to Mr. Frank Field, dated 1 April 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your two written questions concerning the minimum number of hours a Jobclub is required to remain open, and what steps the ES is taking to ensure its obligations are met under the Jobseeker's Charter in the Liverpool and Wirral area.As both questions relate to the Jobseekers Charter I am responding to both questions in this reply.The Jobseeker's Charter sets out obligations both of the Employment Service (ES) to deliver services, and of its clients. It informs jobseekers about the standards of service they can expect when visiting or calling ES offices or using its services, the help we provide, and what we expect from our clients. It is a valuable medium to demonstrate to jobseekers and others that we as an organisation are committed to looking at the services we provide, and that we actively seek to improve our standards, where possible. As part of this process, complaints about our services and suggestions for improving them are encouraged and welcomed.As well as recording suggestions and complaints, the ES currently monitors performance on a quarterly basis against five standards of service set out in its Jobseeker's Charter. These are:Telephone answering times (within 30 seconds);Waiting times (Clients to be seen within 10 minutes);Answering correspondence (replies to written correspondence within 5 working days);Currency of vacancies (during a sample week);Speed and accuracy of payments;There are no separate set of standards for ES programmes or the providers who run them. However, programme providers are obliged to accept the standards set out in the Jobseeker's Charter, and are monitored locally to see that the standards are adhered to and that the achievement of standards are publicised locally.Jobclubs are normally open for 12 hours per week, although they do not form part of the Jobseeker's Charter standards. However, these hours can be modified according to local circumstances and through the contractual agreement the ES has with the Jobclub provider.I hope this is helpful.