§ Mr. Weetchasked the Secretary of State for Employment how much delay is currently being experienced by employers in the Ipswich employment area involved in the youth opportunities programme in respect of refund of payments made on a weekly or other basis to those employed under the scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonIn the Ipswich employment area the Manpower Services Commission is currently taking an average of four to five weeks to reimburse employers for payments which are made to trainees under the youth opportunities programmes.
§ Mr. Weetchasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current period of delay, nationally, in refunding payments made by employers participating in the youth opportunities programme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe average time taken to reimburse sponsors is between four and five weeks.
§ Mr. Weetchasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps are being taken to reduce delays in refunding employers' payments to trainees under the youth opportunities programme in the Ipswich employment area.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe Manpower Services Commission's regional accounts office in Basingstoke will be computerising its payments system for the Ipswich area later in the year. This will reduce the amount of time taken to reimburse employers.
§ Mr. Weetchasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the numbers involved in administering the youth opportunities programme in the Ipswich area; and whether this total figure is below strength.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThere are currently 62 staff at the Ipswich area office of the Manpower Services Commission responsible for administering both the youth332W opportunities programme and the training opportunities programme in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The staffing is currently about 30 per cent. below strength but this situation should be remedied shortly.