§ Mr. Battleasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will review the current guidelines on eligibility for assistance under travel to interview on Manpower Services Commission-sponsored schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lee[holding answer 26 October 1987]: The travel-to-interview scheme, which includes provision for participants on certain schemes sponsored by the Manpower Services Commission, is at present being reviewed following its first year of operation, and I will write to the hon. Member when the results are known.
§ Mr. Battleasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many people in (a) Leeds, West constituency and (b) Leeds metropolitan district council area have received financial assistance to attend interviews on Manpower Services Commission-sponsored schemes in the past 12 months; and what proportion of total applications for such finance this represents.
§ Mr. Lee[holding answer 26 October 1987]: For the year ending September 1987, 318 people applied for help under the travel-to-interview scheme in the jobcentre areas which approximate to the Leeds, West constituency. Of these, 79 per cent. received assistance. The corresponding figures for the area approximating to the Leeds metropolitan district were, 356 applications, 77 per cent. of whom received assistance. Information about the numbers of these applicants attending interviews for places on Manpower Services Commission schemes is not available.