§ Sir Fergus Montgomeryasked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the progress to date of the job restart scheme; and if he will indicate the number and types of work mainly involved.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe restart programme has been making good progress. By 8 January 1987, 779,051 people had been interviewed. A worthwile offer that might lead to employment had been made to around nine out of 10 of those interviewed. The restart programme offers counselling interviews at which long term unemployed people are helped to identify and find possible ways of getting back to work. These include job interviews (including those where the jobstart allowance may be payable), opportunities for further training or for places on the community programme, the chance to join a jobclub, take up a place on a restart course or develop an idea about self employment with the help of the enterprise allowance scheme.
We have no means of knowing exactly how many people have found work after taking part in the programme. Some people have been placed in jobs as a direct result of their restart interview. Many others have found jobs because they are given information, advice and 759W other help at the interview or in one or other of the opportunities offered at the interview. We do not follow up each individual and are unable to give details of the types of work which people enter.