Training and Enterprise Councils

HC Deb 01 December 1993 vol 233 cc619-20W

Ms Short

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the amount of overpayment made by his Department to training and enterprise councils in each year for which information is available; how much has been recovered; how many TECs are still holding money which has been overpaid; and if he will make a statement.

Miss Widdecombe

Information currently available shows that the Department identified overpayments amounting to £3,407,887.71 and £8,807,118.79 made to the 75 training and enterprise councils (TECs) in England in 1990–91 and 1991–92 respectively.

Of these overpayments Treasury agreement has been given to write off £231,054 and a further £11,513,773 has

situation and have the chance to review their strengths and skills and set themselves new clear, achievable job goals that take advantage of the range of help available. This can be achieved on Jobplan, through in-depth guidance interviews with one of the leaders, access to computer assisted guidance programs and tests of attainment. During the week participants will draw up a comprehensive action plan which will map out the steps that they need to take to find work. For many people this will involve further help such as Training for Work or a place on a Jobclub. People who have been unemployed for a year will be asked to attend a Jobplan workshop unless they prefer to take up a place on another Employment Department programme. People who fail to attend each day of the workshop may, under the Income Support (General) 1990 Regulation 21A, amended in March this year, lose a proportion of their personal entitlement to Income Support. When making this amendment, Ministers consulted the Social Security Advisory Committee who accepted that it was reasonable to ask people unemployed for some time to go on an event such as this. I have set out the information you have asked for in the table attached. I hope that 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.

been recovered. In consultation with legal advisors the Department is vigorously pursuing recovery of the remaining balance from the three TECs which still hold overpayment monies.

In 1992–93 information currently available shows overpayments amounting to £6,586,421.73 were made to 51 TECs. Action is in hand to ensure that the overpayments are recovered by the end of December 1993.

No information is held centrally with regard to overpayments in 1993–94, but regional staff have been instructed to ensure that any overpayments are recovered as they are identified.

The Department is committed to ensuring that sound systems of financial control are in place in all TECs and in all training providers and to recovering any overpayments that may be made as they are identified.