Travel-to-Interview Scheme

HC Deb 19 December 1991 vol 201 cc241-2W

Mr. Wallace

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether he has any plans to review the travel-to-interview scheme;

(2) if he will make it his policy to relate the money offered to interviewees under the travel-to-interview scheme to the benefits the interviewee is receiving rather than the salary of the job offered; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson

The effectiveness of all the Departments programmes are continually monitored. As a result it was recognised that the salary limit applied to the travel-to-interview scheme was out of date. The limit will therefore be increased from £16,500 to £25,000 a year from 2 January 1992. We expect this will have significantly, increased the number of people helped.

The new salary covers 90 per cent. of all wage earners and will avoid the administrative complexities of a benefits based scheme. A link with benefits could in fact lead to more restricted eligibility than currently exists.