§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees in his Department are currently taking part in job-share schemes.
§ Mr. RidleyMy Department has no formal job-sharing schemes at present. Currently only four employees actually share jobs although very many more work part-time. Consideration is being given to increasing the opportunities in the Department for more flexible working arrangements.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many vacancies in his Department have been filled through the job release scheme in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. RidleyThe numbers of vacancies are as follows: 11W
Numbers April 1981 to March 1982 43 April 1982 to March 1983 30 April 1983 to March 1984 30 April 1984 to date 6
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether any of those working in his Department are young people on the youth training scheme.
§ Mr. RidleyNo. However, I am proposing a scheme in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment for introduction, subject to further discussions with the trade unions, in our Departments' south-west regional offices at Bristol.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees in his Department are currently allowed day release facilities or other assistance to encourage them to continue their education.
§ Mr. RidleyEighty-three staff currently enjoy day release facilities to continue their education. Beyond that, 113 people receive financial assistance towards the cost of studying in their own time — evening classes, correspondence courses, and so on—and are given time off, with pay, for occasional daytime tutorials and examinations.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total cost to his Department of assistance given to employees to encourage them to continue their education in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. RidleyThe figures for assistance towards further education for the last two years were:
£ 1982–83 10,993 1983–84 10,756 Before that figures were kept jointly with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. The combined total in 1981–82 was £21,817.