HC Deb 23 May 1979 vol 967 cc160-1W
Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish (a) the colour code denoting employability of job applicants which is operated within the Department's employment services, (b) the number of applicants falling within each category and (c) the number of applicants who, as a result of the coding, are never offered employment opportunities, for each year since 1970.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that there is no national system of colour coding denoting employability of job applicants. In some local offices systems of various kinds have been introduced to permit speedy identification of job seekers for submission to employers. These systems typically may relate to the training, qualifications and work experience of job seekers, in addition to the standard occupational classification.

Scheme Applications Estimated number of Jobs involved Start of Scheme
Temporary Employment Subsidy 42 3,500 18 August 1975
Temporary Short-time Working Compensation Scheme 7 250 1 April 1979
Small Firms Employment Subsidy 900 (estimate) 1,200 1 July 1977
Adult Employment Subsidy 660 660 7 August 1978
Some firms have made more than one application.

The dates when the subsidies will cease to be paid will depend on how long individual firms continue to satisfy the conditions of eligibility, which in many cases will be some time after the closing dates for applications.