HC Deb 16 December 1986 vol 107 cc521-2W
49. Ms. Clare Short

asked the Paymaster General if he has issued any fresh guidelines to staff on the length of time each restart interview should take.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

No.

69. Mr. Sedgemore

asked the Paymaster General what is the Government's target date for interviewing all those currently long-term unemployed under restart; and on what basis this target was set.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

In order to give help to long-term unemployed people as quickly as possible we have set ourselves the objective of offering everyone out of work for more than 12 months an interview on a date before 1 April 1987.

76. Mr. McCrindle

asked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the progress of the restart programme.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The restart programme has been making good progress. By 13 November 1986, 528,386 people had been interviewed. A worthwhile offer that might lead to employment had been made to around nine out of 10 of those interviewed.

79. Mr. Marlow

asked the Paymaster General how many long-term unemployed have left the register since the beginning of the restart scheme; and what was the comparable figure compared with a similar period for 1985.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Between 10 July 1986 and 9 October 1986, the estimated number of claimants in Great Britain who left the unemployment count and who had been unemployed for over one year was 253,000. The comparable figure for the period 11 July 1985 to 10 October 1985 was 220,000.

The comparison of numbers of people who ceased to claim between July and October this year and the corresponding period last year is influenced by many factors, such as changes in the economic climate, as well as by programmes such as restart.

86. Mr. Gilroy-Bevan

asked the Paymaster General what increase in tourist-related employment has taken place since the introduction of the restart programme.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The most recently available figures of employment in tourism-related industries are for June 1986. Since the restart programme was introduced nationally only on 1 July 1986, the information requested is not yet available.