§ Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the grants and incentives currently available to encourage greater mobility of labour, the number of workers benefiting from each grant in each of the last six years, and the annual cost of these grants for each of the last six years; and if he has plans to introduce further incentives in order to lessen the impact of the shortage of skilled labour in a number of areas.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that financial assistance is currently available under the employment transfer, jobsearch and key workers schemes to encourage mobility of labour.
Ways of improving the mobility schemes, including the possibilities for alleviating skill shortages by increased geographical mobility of workers, are 815W under consideration by the Manpower Services Commission. The information requested is as follows:
Grant or allowance and Current rate
JOBSEARCH SCHEME
- Fare to attend interview—Actual Cost.
- Speculative temporary transfer allowance—£5 for the first night and £3.50 for subsequent nights.
EMPLOYMENT TRANSFER AND KEY WORKERS SCHEMES
- Forward fare—Actual cost.
- Settling in grant—£15.
- Assisted home visits—12 visits per year, 4 visits per year for workers under 18 with no dependants. The worker is required to pay the first £1 of each return fare.
- Temporary separation allowance—£15 per week.
NUMBERS OF WORKERS ASSISTED Financial years ending 31st March 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77* 1977–78 Jobsearch Scheme Fare to attend interview 6,391 4,946 4,649 7,894 10,273 13,553 Speculative temporary transfer — — 294 382 386 462 Employment Transfer, Key Workers and Nucleus Labour Force Scheme Setting-in grant 19,406 15,995 15,120 16,143 17,254 26,880 Forward fare 12,292 10,535 10,199 12,369 14,704 23,140 Assisted home visits 6,048 5,789 4,525 5,350 9,565 15,260 Temporary separation allowance 8,845 6,114 5,042 5,627 5,920 6,826 Disturbance allowance 4,396 5,160 4,749 4,938 5,573 11,658 Continuing liability allowance Figures not available Household removal assistance (includes removal expenses, legal fees grant, transfer grant and fares for dependants) 7,808 7,716 5,637 6,594 6,363 14,974 £ £ £ £ £ £ Total costs of all schemes 4,463,350 4,518,447 4,372,296 5,979,201 10,912,023 11,943,919 * Excludes quarter ending 31st December 1976 for which figures are not available.