§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether he will list the percentage rate of unemployed people in the Bonnybridge area for each month since the Bonnybridge part-time employment office was opened;
(2) whether he will list the number of unemployed people in the Bonnybridge area for each month since the Bonnybridge part-time employment office was opened.
§ Mr. LeeThe table shows the number of unemployed claimants in the wards which cover the Bonnybridge area for each month from June 1983. Figures for wards are not available prior to June 1983. The figures are affected by the change in the compilation of the unemployment count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording and by the change in benefit regulations affecting under 18-year-olds in September 1988. Unemployment rates are not calculated for areas smaller than travel-to-work areas.
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Unemployment in the Bonnybridge area1 Number of Unemployed
Claimants
1983 June 668 July 679 August 673 September 703 October 658 November 653 December 638 1984 January 695 February 745 March 705 April 672 May 685 June 690 July 694 August 682 September 705
Number of Unemployed
Claimants
October 716 November 705 December 696 1985 January 746 February 759 March 752 April 763 May 790 June 774 July 755 August 766 September 755 October 722 November 782 December 813 1986 January 840 February 826 March 799 April 802 May 758 June 769 July 764 August 752 September 780 October 779 November 779 December 770 1987 January 805 February 767 March 708 April 705 May 669 June 649 July 637 August 618 September 596 October 608 November 602 December 602 1988 January 609 February 579 March 563 April 540 May 507 June 512 July 488 August 483 September 477 October 434 November 441 December 439 1 Denny and Dunipace wards.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will consult local authorities and local community organisations about his proposal to close the Bonnybridge part-time employment office.
§ Mr. LeeThere are no plans to consult local authorities and local community organisations about the closure.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has of the success rate of the part-time employment office at Bonnybridge in finding jobs for unemployed people.
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§ Mr. LeeThis information is not available. Bonnybridge is a part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse and is not specifically involved in finding jobs for unemployed people. This function is currently performed by the jobcentre in Denny.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make an official visit to the part-time employment office at Bonnybridge in order to discuss with local people, particularly unemployed people, his proposal to close the office.
§ Mr. LeeThere are no plans for the Secretary of State to visit Bonnybridge part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the disadvantages and the advantages of the proposed closure of the part-time employment office at Bonnybridge.
§ Mr. LeeThe employment service is committed to helping the unemployed find pathways back to work and to offering an efficient enquiry and counselling service about both benefits and job-training opportunities. It is impossible to provide all these facilities in a small part-time benefit office such as Bonnybridge which is open for only two hours a week and is housed in inadequate premises. Following the closure of Bonnybridge part-time unemployment benefit office, members of the public will be asked to attend the full-time unemployment benefit office in Denny. New claims are already taken at this office and it is equipped with a computer system to speed up the handling of inquiries. More senior and experienced staff are available to assist and offer advice about both benefits and job-training opportunities and a full-time jobcentre is situated in the same building.
Although members of the public will have to travel a little further to `sign-on', therefore, they will benefit from the comprehensive range of services available in Denny, and particularly from having regular access to information about job vacancies and training courses.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will arrange for the issue of a questionnaire to all people using the part-time employment office at Bonnybridge to ascertain(a) what use they make of the office and (b) whether they agree with his proposal to close the office.
§ Mr. LeeThere are no plans to issue a questionnaire to the people who use the part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse at Bonnybridge as there are alternative and more comprehensive facilities available nearby.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated cost of additional travel expenses which will be incurred by clients at present using the Bonnybridge part-time employment office if the office is closed.
§ Mr. LeeIn most cases, clients who currently attend the part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse at Bonnybridge will be expected to travel to the nearest local office in Denny, which is three miles away. There is half-hourly bus service between Bonnybridge and Denny and the fare is £1 return. Clients who live six miles or more from the nearest local office and people with disabilities or those with significant travel difficulties will no longer be required to attend for their fortnightly claims but will be able to make these by post.
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§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are required to staff the part-time employment office at Bonnybridge; and for how many hours per week.
§ Mr. LeeCurrently two members of staff are required to attend the part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse at Bonnybridge each Wednesday, when they spend two hours at this office.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the estimated financial saving, to his Department if the proposed closure of the Bonnybridge part-time employment office goes ahead.
§ Mr. LeeThe estimated financial saving from the closure of Bonnybridge part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse is £950 per annum.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list for each month since its opening, the number of people using the Bonnybridge part-time employment office for use of the freephone employment inquiry service; and what is the cost of this service.
§ Mr. LeeThis information is not available, as this service is not provided at the part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse in Bonnybridge.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list, for each month since its opening, the number of people using the Bonnybridge part-time employment office for signing-on purposes.
§ Mr. LeeThe part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse at Bonnybridge opened in 1973. Information on the number of people using the office is no longer available for the months prior to January 1985. The number of people signing as unemployed in each month since January 1985 is given in the table.
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1985 1986 1987 1988 January 424 416 461 315 February 421 405 453 311 March 455 411 439 242 April 451 430 439 292
1985 1986 1987 1988 May 433 413 380 295 June 433 411 383 295 July 413 423 368 278 August 405 443 345 270 September 420 444 346 242 October 412 420 339 244 November 425 448 341 231 December 402 444 351 246
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list, for each month since its opening, the number of people using the Bonnybridge part-time employment office for the job vacancy notice-board service; how many job vacancies have been notified on the notice-board; and how many have been filled as a result.
§ Mr. LeeThis information is not available. Bonnybridge is a part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse. Although it has a general noticeboard, it does not display job vacancies. Local job vacancies are notified to the jobcentre in Denny, which is responsible for advertising jobs and submitting people to vacancies.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the annual cost to his Department of leasing part of Bonnybridge community centre for the part-time employment office at Bonnybridge.
§ Mr. LeeThe annual cost of leasing part of Bonnybridge community centre for the part-time unemployment benefit office outhouse at Bonnybridge is £260 plus £120 for utilities.