§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed received counselling through arrangements provided or paid for by her Department in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.
§ Mr. McLoughlinResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. A. G. Johnson to Mr. Frank Dobson, dated 26 October 1992:
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, it is the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the Agency's Chief Executive to answer Parliamentary Questions about relevant operational matters. In his absence, I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Employment about counselling for Unemployed people.
Through our network of local offices we now provide a structured and coherent information and advisory service which intensifies as the duration of unemployment increases. We try to ensure that all unemployed people know about, and get access to, the employment and training opportunities that are available. This process begins with an interview with one of our client advisers when a person first becomes unemployed. A review takes place at thirteen weeks for those who have not found work. If people remain unemployed, interviews are provided at six months and regular intervals thereafter under the Restart programme. In addition clients can arrange to see an adviser at any time to discuss ways of getting back to work.
In the twelve month period ending 25 September 1992, our advisers conducted 8,170,691 counselling interviews. Of these 4,481,298 were with people making new claims to benefit, 646,540 were with people who had not found jobs after thirteen weeks out of work and 2,192,760 were under the Restart programme. The remaining 850,903 interviews were to follow up clients who were judged to need further advice to help them get back into work and with people who asked to discuss their employment prospects with an adviser.
I hope this is helpful.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.