§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons, nationally and in each region, have been selected for interview under the restart programme in each month since the programme started, and cumulatively up to the latest date : and of these how many had their benefit stopped; how many were placed in a job; how many were placed in a training scheme or programme; and what percentage each of these represents of the total number selected for interview.
§ Mr. Fowler[pursuant to his reply, 23 October 1987, c. 922]: The number of people selected for interview under the restart programme in each month since the programme began is shown in the table.
The aim of the restart interview is to help an unemployed person into employment by selecting the best way open to them from the wide range of employment, training and job search opportunities available. Around nine out of 10 of those interviewed are made offers which might lead ultimately to employment and 70 per cent. agree to pursue the offer made to them at their restart interview. We do not know how many of those selected for interview are ultimately placed in a job or in a training scheme or programme.
No one can lose their benefit entitlement solely as a result of attending a restart interview.
53W
1987 Regions Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept South East 12,872 29,203 12,407 162,423 22,735 25,477 30,898 22,516 21,588 London 14,376 34,456 15,265 19,785 24,440 28,566 37,164 27,752 32,356 South West 5,279 14,765 7,733 8,477 11,851 13,802 17,583 14,627 13,853 West Midlands 28,281 14,948 11,645 19,956 26,093 31,590 36,477 26,720 27,283 East Midlands 9,677 21,259 15,293 17,074 22,010 30,746 30,377 21,627 23,206 Yorkshire and Humberside 13,100 28,585 18,398 14,978 20,043 21,324 35,103 24,972 24,807 North West 18,382 37,568 22,413 21,753 36,163 41,953 48,425 35,757 33,409 Northern 7,575 17,944 10,179 11,148 16,384 16,909 20,615 16,739 16,861 Wales 6,687 17,609 8,345 9,419 12,758 16,168 16,868 12,602 12,176 Scotland 11,837 29,208 21,917 20,522 30,034 29,132 34,252 27,111 27,533 GB Total 128,066 245,545 143,595 305,535 222,511 255,667 307,762 230,423 233,072 GB Cumulative 1,057,403 1,302,948 1,446,543 1,755,078 1,977,589 2,233,256 2,541,018 2,771,441 3,004,513