Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what review is being conducted of the record of the Manpower Services Commission; and whether he will make a statement about the future of the commission.
§ Mr. Jim LesterThe Manpower Services Commission was set up under the Employment and Training Act 1973. No special review of its record is being conducted. My right hon. Friend welcomes the involvement of representatives of employers' and workers' organisations, and of local authorities and education interests, in the management and development of manpower programmes, and has no plans to seek to change the present position. However in the light of recommendations made in the "Report on Non-Departmental Public Bodies" (Cmnd. 7797) my right hon. Friend will be reviewing periodically all such bodies for which he is responsible, including the MSC.
§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list under headings the forms sent to employers under special programmes by the Manpower Services Commission; whether
166Wsurvey for April 1979, of the direct addition to the national wage bill caused by raising the pay of full-time workers (those working over 30 hours a week or more) over 18 who are paid less than £1.30 an hour, £1.40 an hour and £1.50 an hour up to those levels. An estimate of the effects of a minimum wage at £1.25 an hour cannot readily be given.
all such full-time workers in the public sector are estimated, on the basis of the NES for April 1979, to be:
forms are single, duplicate or in triplicate; what is the estimated cost of postage by so doing; how many public servants are required to administer each stage of the process; and if he will make a statement with regard to the amount of paper sent and the steps he is taking to reduce it.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 30 June 1980, c. 374]: I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that every effort is made to minimise the number of forms sent to employers who sponsor schemes under the youth opportunities programme. However, this objective must be reconciled with the commission's accountability to Parliament in terms of the effective and proper use of Government funds.
The basic forms sent to such employers are:
- at the stage of setting up a scheme
- scheme application
- participants' programme
- legal agreement between sponsor/MSC
- during the operation of a scheme
- receipt for weekly allowance (signed by participants)
- sponsor's claim for reimbursement of allowances paid to participants (monthly)
- monthly progress report on participants
- When a young person leaves a scheme
- notification of termination
- leaver's certificate
Forms are issued in duplicate/triplicate only when absolutely necessary and usually include impregnated carbon which means that only the top copy requires completion.
167WI regret that estimates of the associated cost of postage and the time spent on this activity by public servants could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, I am assured by the commission that such time represents but a small proportion of that spent on the overall administration of special programmes. Priority is given to helping sponsors set up schemes and to monitoring the effectiveness of existing schemes.
The commission is currently examining what economies can be achieved without putting at risk public accountability.