HC Deb 22 May 1986 vol 98 cc318-9W
Dr. McDonald

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1955 the combined value of child tax allowance after clawback and family allowance on child benefit expressed in November 1985 prices, on the same basis as his reply of 26 July 1985 to the hon.Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) Official Report, columns 523–4.

Mr. Newton

The information is as follows:

Security. In view of the greatly increased provision for the long-term unemployed made by the Manpower Services Commission, it was felt that the role of the RECs in retraining the long-term unemployed for regular work would be more appropriately undertaken by the MSC and that this would eliminate the wasteful duplication of function.

Following this proposal, the Social Services Select Committee recommended that my Department defer the closure of RECs until it could be demonstrated that the MSC would be able to fill the gap their closure would

create. The Government are substantially extending the range of help available to the long-term unemployed and in particular the group that includes re-establishment centre users. The community programme, for example, is to be increased to 255,000 places by November 1986. By March 1987 the restart programme should make it possible to assist all the long-term unemployed as they reach 12 months unemployment. Each person referred to a Manpower Services Commission employment adviser will have an initial interview at which the availability of jobs and the appropriateness of training will be considered. Links between employment advisers and DHSS unemployment review officers will be strengthened to match people with the most suitable Manpower Services Commission programme.

For these reasons, we have decided that re-establishment centres will close as soon as is practicable and, at the latest, by 31 March 1987. Every effort will be made to find alternative employment for the staff involved. It has been agreed with the Department of Employment that discussions about the possible employment of re-establishment centre workshop supervisors on MSC programmes should proceed with the MSC at a local level.

The Social Services Committee has today been informed of this decision along with the Government's responses to the other recommendations in its second report.