HC Deb 02 March 1970 vol 797 cc13-4W
Mr. Dean

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give a geographical breakdown of the large cities and areas in which his unemployment review officers are located.

Mr. Ennals

Unemployment review work is done in all parts of the country by 60 regionally based officers and 45 full-time and 297 part-time staff in local offices. The location of the regional officers varies according to the area in which they are working at any time. All the main industrial areas are covered by the work of the unemployment review officers.

Mr. Dean

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present number of unemployment review officers, their average salary, the number who are university graduates or have other advanced educational qualifications; and if he will give a breakdown of their previous employment, showing by department concerned those who were previously in government employment.

Mr. Ennals

There are 60 unemployment review officers attached to regional offices and another 56 are being recruited following the recent increase in complement which I announced on 15th December, 1969. These officers are experienced executive officers: their average salary is not available but the average for the grade is about £1,450 per annum. As the hon. Member will know, a university degree or similar qualification is not essential for admission to this grade, and none are so qualified.

Experience in previous employment is not so relevant as is experience within the Department of Health and Social Security but 41 of the 60 officers had experience in one or more of the following Government Departments before entering this Department:

Previous Departments
General Post Office 19
Ministry of Defence 12
Ministry of Public Building and Works 5
Ministry of Food 4
Department of Employment and Productivity 3

and one in each of the following Departments:

Home Office, Customs and Excise, Inland Revenue Department, Fuel and Power, Supply, Housing and Local Government, Agriculture, Lord Chancellor's Department, Board of Trade, Land Registry, Central Land Board, Civil Service Commission.