HC Deb 15 January 1996 vol 269 cc465-7W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 14 December to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Hamilton),Official Report, column 738, if the new criteria to be applied to eligibility for the access to work scheme will exclude those disabled people who are seeking jobs through development of self-employment; and if she will make a statement. [9054]

Mr. Forth

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. David Blunkett, dated January 1996: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the eligibility for Access to Work of self-employed disabled people. The refocussing of Access to Work announced by the Secretary of State on 14 December applies to self-employed disabled people in exactly the same way as it does to disabled people who are employed. From 18 December applications will be considered only from people who, at the time of their application, have been unemployed for at least four weeks. This applies whether a person is entering self-employment or starting work as an employed person. I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the changes in the criteria for eligibility introduced from 18 December 1995 will apply to those who have already made applications for assistance under access to work before that date; and if she will make a statement. [8954]

Mr. Forth

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter front Mike Fogden to Mr. David Blunkett, dated January 1996: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the eligibility for Access to Work of people who applied before 18 December. Everyone who made an application for Access to Work before 18 December, even if their application had not been decided at that date, will be eligible to be considered for support. The announcement refocussed the support available from the Access to Work programme towards those who need it most—unemployed disabled people; and those to whom we have already made commitments. Those disabled people who are still eligible to apply for Access to Work will continue to be considered for the full range support available. I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applicants for access to work who had made formal applications had been waiting three months or more, by 18 December 1995, for their applications to be processed. [8953]

Mr. Forth

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. David Blunkett, dated January 1996: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about waiting times for people who have made applications for Access to Work support. Access to Work is delivered locally through Placing, Assessment and Counselling Teams (PACTS). Local managers are responsible for delivery and I have set them a target of completing action plans for 80% of Access to Work clients within 3 weeks of their applying. If the actual provision of the support is likely to take some time, PACTs seek alternative ways of helping the client. Local managers are responsible for monitoring the operation of Access to Work and for achieving the set targets. This level of detail of monitoring information is not kept centrally, and I cannot therefore say how many people have to wait for three months or more for their applications to be processed. However, we are undertaking a review of Access to Work and research to support the review has examined in detail the operation of the programme. This research will be published shortly. I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what sum of money is available under access to work in 1995–96; and what is the amount proposed for 1996–97. [8955]

Mr. Forth

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Mike Fogden to Mr. David Blunkett, dated January 1996: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the money available for Access to Work in 1995/96 and 1996/97.

The amount of money allocated to the Access to Work programme for 1995/96 is £13.4m but, as the Secretary of State announced on 14 December, additional funds have been made available for this year. However, I cannot of course say what the total spend will be until the end of the year.

The amount of money allocated to the programme for 1996/97 has been maintained at the planned level of £12.9m.

I hope this is helpful.

Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received about the access to work scheme; what has been the nature of these representations; and what her response has been. [9182]

Mr. Paice

Since the announcement about access to work, made on 14 December by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, we have received requests for further clarification of the announcement; expressions of concern about the immediate measures taken; and requests for information about the review of the programme and its future operation. Replies have provided the clarification and information requested where appropriate.

Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to alter the access to work scheme; if extra funds will be made available; and if she will make a statement. [9181]

Mr. Paice

An announcement was made by the Secretary of State on 14 December 1995,Official Report column 738, about the access to work programme and its funding.