HC Deb 03 March 1988 vol 128 cc704-5W
Mr. McTaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of people disqualified from unemployment benefit for each area office in the Glasgow area within the last year, giving the reasons for disqualification and the length of the period of disqualification.

Mr. Lee

The number of adjudication officers' decisions that disqualified claimants for receipt of unemployment benefit during the latest period for which figures are available (year ending 30 June 1987) are detailed in the table, broken down by reasons for disqualification. Figures are not available on an individual office basis and those given therefore represent the total number of disqualifications by adjudication officers in Glasgow. The figures do not cover disallowances of benefit, nor disqualification of those absent from Great Britain. No analysis is made of the length of the disqualification imposed, and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Year ending 30 June 1987
Leaving Voluntarily 8,716
Misconduct 3,113
Refusal of Suitable Employment 24
Neglect of a Reasonable Opportunity of Suitable Work 1
Refusal to Carry Out Written Recommendations 1
Refusal or Failure to Take a Reasonable Opportunity of Approved Training 22
Trade Dispute 4

Mr. McTaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what proportion of people disqualified from receiving unemployment benefit within the last year have appealed against that disqualification in(a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) Britain as a whole;

(2) how many people disqualified from receiving unemployment benefit have appealed the decision; and what percentages of disqualifications this represents.

Mr. Lee

Separate records of the number of appeals against disqualifications of unemployment benefit are not kept, and such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The table shows the numbers of appeals against all adverse decisions, including both disqualifications and disallowances within(a) Scotland and (b) Britain as a whole for the year ending December 1986. The Department has no figures for other areas available.

Great Britain
Total of disallowances and disqualifications 1,081,394
Total appeals 44,874=4.15 per cent.
Scotland
Total of disallowances and disqualifications 116,109
Total appeals 6,272–5.4 per cent.