§ Mr. Alan Clarkasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total amount paid in grants under the Employment Transfer Scheme; whether there is any limit to the amount of each individual grant; how many persons are currently eligible to apply for benefit; what restrictions there are on the manner in which the money is spent; and what safeguards exist against abuse.
§ Mr. GoldingI am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that:
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- 1. £5,160,000 was paid out in grants and allowances under the Employment Transfer Scheme during the first 11 months of the 1975–76 financial year;
- 2. there is a limit to each of the various grants and allowances available;
- 3. it is not possible to estimate the number of people who are currently eligible to apply for benefit;
4. grants and allowances are basically restricted to persons who are unemployed or under the threat of redundancy. Each type of benefit under the Scheme is issued for a specific purpose;5. the basic application form includes a formal declaration by the applicant as to the truth and correctness of his statements concerning eligibility for the Scheme. Eligibility conditions are strictly applied, and there are verification procedures for certain aspects of a number of the individual types of benefit.