HC Deb 30 January 1989 vol 146 cc76-8W
Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in(a) the general index of retail prices and (b) the indices for one and two-person pensioner households during the last five calendar years; and what proportion of the difference is accounted for by differing treatment of housing costs.

Mr Lee

The percentage increases are given in the following table. Housing costs are not covered by the pensioner indices and data is not available to estimate what their effect would be if they were. However, a like-with-like comparison can be made between the pensioner indices and the general index excluding housing, and the percentage increases for this are also given in the table.

advertising campaigns in each of the last three years; how much was spent on each; what subjects are projected for advertising in the year 1988–89; and how much expenditure is planned for each.

Mr. Cope

The amount spent by the Department of Employment on advertising campaigns in each of the last three financial years, together with the subjects, is contained in the tables:

£ million
1985–86
Action for Jobs 0.04
Career Development Loans 0.03
Part Time Job Release and Job Splitting Scheme 0.03
Total 0.10
1986–87
Action for Jobs 12.2
Career Development Loans 0.2
New Workers Scheme 0.3
Total 12.7
1987–88
Action for Jobs 5.4
Job Share 0.1
Job Release/New Workers Scheme 0.1
Career Development Loans 0.1
Small Firms Service 0.3
Other 0.1
Total 6.1

The amount committed to advertising campaigns in the financial year 1988-89, together with the subjects, is contained in the following table:

£ million
1988–89
Action for Jobs 0.6
Career Development Loans 0.3
Fit for Work/Disabled Persons 0.1
Jobclub 1.1
Enterprise Allowance Scheme 0.6
Better off in Work 3.0
Small Finns Service 0.5
Total 6.2

This total includes expenditure by the employment service in its first full financial year within the Department. Other publicity activities to promote Departmental

Accidents1 Annual incidence rate per 100,000 trainees
Period Average number in training Fatalities Major injuries Minor injuries Fatalities Major injuries
1 April 1985 to 31 March 1986 263,748 42 2220 1,891 0.8 283.4
1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987 296,298 59 2315 1,728 3.0 2106.3
1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988 3375,844 67 2505 2,604 1.9 2134.3
1 Training Agency accident figures for YTS are compiled on a similar basis to those prepared by the Health and Safety Executive on employed persons. However, Training agency figures will include a number of accidents, in particular road traffic accidents during scheme time and accidents to trainees in educational establishments, which may not have been reportable to the Executive had the individuals been employed.
2 The figures on major accidents and the incidence rates on major accidents in 1985–86 are not comparable to those in 1986–87 and in subsequent years due to a reclassification of major injuries effective from 1 April 1986. The reclassification means that some injuries, in particular broken wrists and ankles, which were classified as minor injuries before that date, are now classified as major injuries.
3 These figures are provisional.
4 This figure includes 1 road traffic accident.
5 This figure includes 4 road traffic accidents.
6 This figure includes 2 road traffic accidents.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish details, as soon as they become available, of(a) compensation paid to YTS trainees because of accidents in 1988, (b) the amount paid objectives are under consideration, within published expenditure limits. All the figures in the tables include production costs and VAT.