§ Mrs. MahonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment from what age, under the training for employment scheme, child care costs for sole parents up to £50 a week are available for children.
§ Mr. Leeholding answer 22 July 1988]: Help with the costs of necessary child care of up to £50 per week per child is available to lone parents (or guardians) who are eligible to enter employment training. The payments can be made in respect of children of all ages up to 16 where arrangements for their care have been made with a child minder, day nursery or creche registered with the local authority.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment, if he will provide a breakdown of annual long-term unemployment rates for the United Kingdom, showing the number out of work for six months and over, in the years 1978 to 1988.
§ Mr. LeeDirect comparisons of unemployment by duration since 1978 are not possible because of changes in the coverage of the count. Following is the available information which is also in the library. Table(a) shows the percentage of unemployed registrants in the United Kingdom who had been unemployed six months or more for each year from 1979 to 1982. Table (b) shows corresponding figures according to the percentage of unemployed claimants from 1983 to 1987.
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Table (a) Percentage of unemployed registrants in the United Kingdom unemployed over six months Percentage of total registrants 1979 42.2 1980 35.1 1981 45.1 1982 54.6
Table (b) Percentage of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom unemployed over six months Percentage of total claimants 1983 56.0 1984 58.3 1985 59.1 1986 59.2 1987 60.0 Note: Figures based on the average for January, April, July and October of each year.