HC Deb 05 December 1969 vol 792 cc385-7W
Mr. Speed

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity whether employers pay fees to the Professional and Executive Register for filling their vacancies; whether the Register acts in conjunction with private employment agencies; and, in these circumstances, whether the Register either receives or pay fees.

Mr. Dell

Employers do not pay fees to the Register for filling their vacancies. The Register does not act in conjunction with private agencies carried on for profit, and the hon. Members Question regarding the receiving or paying fees does not therefore arise.

Mr. Speed

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what are the towns in which offices of the Professional and Executive Register are situated; what are the criteria for deciding where it should operate; and what plans there are for expanding the numbers of offices and employees.

Mr. Dell

The Professional and Executive Register provides a nation-wide service through 42 offices situated at Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Burnley, Cambridge, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Coventry, Darlington, Dundee, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grimsby, Hanley, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Swansea, Warrington, Wrexham.

The location of offices is mainly determined by their position as focal points for the convenience of the public and employers in the catchment area served, and by administrative considerations.

The opening of 4 further offices is being considered. The number of staff employed is being increased by 42 in the current financial year, and a further increase of this order is being considered for 1970–71.

Mr. Speed

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the number of vacant positions which the Professional and Executive Register was asked to fill during 1968; what was the percentage of these which were filled; and what was the number of employers who used the Register.

Mr. Dell

During 1968, 28,694 vacancies were notified to the Register. In the same period, 10,608 placings were made but not all were in vacancies which had been previously notified, some were made following speculative approaches to employers thought likely to be interested. I regret that information is not available about the proportion of notified vacancies filled or about the number of employers who used the Register.

Mr. Speed

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many of the offices of the Professional and Executive Register are separate, physically and administratively, from the employment exchanges.

Mr. Dell

Fifteen offices of the Register are in premises away from the main employment exchange premises. All offices of the Register are under the administrative control of the appropriate exchange manager.