§ Mr. Iain Millsasked the Secretary of State for Employment if the Manpower Services Commission has any plans to change the operation of the local labour market rule which is an eligibility condition of its schemes to promote geographical mobility of labour.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission—MSC—that financial assistance cannot be given under the rules of the job search scheme and employment transfer schemes—JSS and ETS—if there are local unemployed people registered in the new area who are suitable for the job which the applicant is seeking or is taking. This is to ensure that public funds are not used to encourage workers from elsewhere to take jobs which could be filled by local unemployed people. However, the MSC recognises the need for an objective test to determine whether local unemployed people are available and, if they are available, that they have had the opportunity to apply for the job. From 2 February, the MSC will apply the Local labour market rule as follows:
The rule will be satisfied if
- (a) there are no suitable local people registered as unemployed; or
- (b) the vacancy has been notified to a local office of the MSC's employment service division, or has been suitably advertised, and has remained unfilled for at least four weeks.
In addition, if the condition was satisfied under the job search scheme for a fare to attend an interview for employment, it will remain satisfied for an ETS application for that employment.