§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the maximum financial assistance that can be claimed for overnight subsistence by unemployed people under the travel-to-interview scheme; and if she will make a statement;
(2) what are the maximum travelling expenses that can be claimed by unemployed people who are given assistance under the travel-to-interview scheme when they travel by (a) public or (b) private transport; and how many interviews they can claim assistance for.
§ 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.
683WLetter from Mr. M. Fogden to Ms Clare Short, dated 15 April 1993:
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions to her about the Travel to Interview Scheme (TIS). This is something which falls within the responsibilities she has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.It may be helpful if I explain the background to the scheme. TIS was introduced in 1986 to help with travel costs for unemployed people to attend job interviews in the United Kingdom but beyond daily travelling distance of their home area, thus widening the applicants' jobsearch, improving their chances of obtaining work and encouraging labour mobility. During 1991–92 the scheme helped 31,000 applicants at a cost of some £950,000. A few basic conditions must be met before assistance can be granted, to ensure that the limited funds available are concentrated on those unemployed people in most need. A leaflet outlining the scope of the scheme is enclosed.People who are eligible for help with fares may also qualify for the cost of up to two nights stay which is unavoidable. The actual cost of the overnight accommodation is reimbursed up to a fixed limit which is currently £27.20 per night.Eligible applicants may choose to travel by public transport or private vehicle. If they choose public transport the full costs of the cheapest convenient service are met by the scheme. Travel by private vehicle is reimbursed at a fixed rate of 16p per mile (increased from 15p on 5 April 1993). However the amount is limited to what it would have cost by convenient public transport.You also asked about the maximum expenses which may be claimed. There is no ceiling as such on the total expenses which may be paid but any applicant failing to get a job after 20 interviews using TIS assistance would be counselled. Each subsequent interview which required TIS assistance would be considered carefully and assistance refused unless it was felt the applicant had a reasonable chance of getting the job.I hope this is helpful.As agreed in the Government's reply to the 1990 Treasury and Civil Service Committee Report "Progress in the Next Steps Initiative", I will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House and in its Public Information Office.