HC Deb 19 December 1986 vol 107 cc811-2W
Ms. Richardson

asked the Paymaster General if he will list those initiatives of his Department which have been of benefit to women, since 1979, the cost or estimated cost of those initiatives, and the proportion of the total budget of his Department this represents.

Mr. Lee

The main employment, training and enterprise measures offered by my Department and the Manpower Services Commission since 1979 are:

  • Special Temporary Employment Programme1
  • Community Enterprise Programme1
  • Youth Opportunities Programme1
  • Training Opportunities Scheme1
  • Short-time Working Compensation Scheme1
  • Temporary Employment Subsidy1
  • Small Firms Employment Subsidy1
  • Adult Employment Subsidy1
  • Young Workers Scheme1
  • Temporary Short-time Working Compensation Scheme1
  • Part-time Job Release Scheme1
  • The Employment Transfer Scheme1
  • The Job Search Scheme1
  • Free Forward Fares Schemes1
  • Community Programme
  • Enterprise Allowance Scheme
  • Voluntary Projects Programme
  • Community Industry
  • YTS
  • Technical, Vocational and Educational Initiative
  • Job Release Scheme
  • Job Splitting Scheme
  • Restart Programme
  • Jobstart Allowance
  • New Workers Scheme
  • Training for Enterprise
  • Training Grants for Employers
  • Wider Opportunities Training Programme
  • Access to Information Technology
  • Job Training Scheme
  • Jobclubs
  • Travel to Interview Scheme
    • 812
  • Open Tech Programme
  • Career Development Loans2
  • Loan Guarantee Scheme
  • Job Introduction Scheme
  • Adaptation to Premises and Equipment Scheme
  • Personal Reader Service
  • Special aids to employment
  • Assistance to fares for work for the disabled
  • Skills—linked and Preparatory English as a second language
  • (ESL) Courses
  • Industrial Language Training

All of the measures are open to both women and men who satisfy the individual eligibility criteria for each scheme. Since 1979 the Government have spent in the region of £10 billion on these measures and are spending a further £3 billion this year. It is not possible to assess what proportion of the Department's expenditure on these initiatives is taken up by women.

In addition to training courses open to both men and women the MSC runs a number of single-sex courses, including JTS courses, for women and girls, in occupations where women are under-represented and single-sex courses for women wanting to return to work after time at home looking after families3.

We have designated 172 training bodies to run training courses for women in non-traditional occupations or for women returning to work after a period of domestic responsibility. The Sex Discrimination Act 1986 freed training bodies from the need to obtain ministerial designation3.

Since 1979 the following legislation of particular benefit to women has been passed3

In London on 8 and 9 December 1986 the Government, in conjunction with the European Commission, sponsored a conference on women and training. This drew together practical experience from across Europe on training women for occupations where women are underrepresented; training for the new technologies and for setting up small businesses (approximate cost to Department of Employment £12,500).

  • 1 This scheme is now closed.
  • 2 This is a pilot scheme which is running for a three-year period from April 1986 in Aberdeen, Bristol/Bath, Greater Manchester and Reading/Slough.
  • 3 The cost of these items is not readily available and cannot be provided without disproportionate expenses.

Mr. Michael Brown

asked the Paymaster General how many people (a) are, and (b) have been in jobclubs in the constituency of Brigg and Cleethorpes since 1983.

Mr. Lee

There are no jobclubs in the Brigg and Cleethorpes constituency. However, there are jobclubs in Grimsby and Scunthorpe. No separate records are kept of people attending these jobclubs from Brigg and Cleethorpes. The Grimsby jobclub opened on 7 July 1986; 87 people have joined since then, and 70 per cent. of leavers have gone into employment. At 5 December there were 24 people in the jobclub. The Scunthorpe jobclub opened on 13 January 1986; 185 people have joined since then, and 73 per cent. have gone into employment. At 5 December there were 37 people in the jobclub.