§ Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of applications which have been made in Scotland for assistance under the enterprise allowance scheme up to the most recent convenient date; and how many of these applications have resulted in an award.
§ Mr. Allan StewartFrom 1 August 1983, when the enterprise allowance scheme came into operation on a national basis, to 1 May 1984 3,406 applications were made, of which 2,542 have resulted in entry to the scheme.
§ Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time taken to process an application in Scotland under the enterprise allowance scheme; and how many unprocessed applications there were at the most recent convenient date.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe information is not available in the form requested. For individuals interested in the scheme the first step is to attend an information session at which explanations and advice are provided. For those who subsequently submit applications to enter the scheme, the usual period between attendance at the information session and entry to the scheme is 2–4 weeks. On 1 May 1984, 1,298 people in Scotland were waiting to attend an information session.
§ Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps the Manpower Services Commission in Scotland is taking to reduce the backlog of applications under the enterprise allowance scheme.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe demand currently exceeds the availability of places under the enterprise allowance scheme. In order to reduce the present backlog, 400 additional places will be provided in Scotland in the period from 1 May to 31 July. The future of the scheme in the medium term is being considered as a matter of urgency.