§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of job seekers will have to travel to receive a full service from the nearest jobcentre; and how he arrives at that figure.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe paper discussed by the Manpower Services Commission in April estimated that some 2 per cent. of Jobcentre users might need to be referred to another office for specialised services. This estimate was derived from figures for the existing usage of services that might be centralised in certain Jobcentres. Testing of the proposed changes in delivering employment services are underway and these will be evaluated in the autumn before final decisions are taken.
§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how extreme hardship will be defined in order that unemployed job seekers will qualify for fares to be paid to attend a jobcentre.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonGeneral provisions allow the reimbursement of fares to unemployed jobseekers attending pre-arranged interviews at Jobcentres more than six miles from their homes. This limit can be reduced to three miles in cases where the fares involved are particularly high.
§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment if the consultation process on the development of the employment service includes the unemployed job seekers.
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§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe Manpower Services Commission is consulting a range of organisations about its proposals, including local authorities and area manpower boards, which can be expected to take full account of the interests of jobseekers in their areas. In addition, details of the proposals are available to interested individuals who may wish to comment.