§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work trial agreements have been made with employers in 1992–93 and in the first quarter of 1993–94, for each region and for Great Britain as a whole; how many unemployed people have taken part in work trials in each region; how many participants have secured full-time or part-time employment with their sponsoring
676Wofficer for refusing suitable employment and (e) how many of those in (d) have had their benefit disqualified or not disqualified.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythResponsibility 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 M. E. G. Fogden to Ms Clare Short, dated 26 July 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 Question to him about the number of claimants who have been issued with warning letters for not actively seeking work; had their claim referred to an adjudication officer for not actively seeking work; had their claims allowed or disallowed for not actively seeking work; had their claim referred to an adjudication officer for refusing suitable employment; and how many of those have had their benefit disqualified or not disqualified in each quarter since April 1992 for each region and for Great Britain as a whole. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.The publication "Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions", includes the statistics you asked for on actively seeking work and refusal of employment, for each quarter since April 1992 to March 1993, for each standard region and for Great Britain as a whole, and copies are held in the Library of the House.A change introduced in the Social Security Act 1989 removed the requirement that employment offered had to be suitable for the person concerned; instead the client now has to show that they have good cause for refusing any job which is offered to them.I enclose a table showing by Region, and Nationally, the number of warning letters issued to clients whose worksearch activity was not considered to be adequate.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.employer; what is the best information he has on the wages they receive; how long those jobs have lasted; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythResponsibility 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 M. E. G. Fogden to Ms Clare Short, dated 26 July 1993: 677W
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 Question to him about Work Trials. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.Figures showing the numbers of unemployed people participating in Work Trials, and the numbers placed into work as a result are attached. Details of the number of Work Trial agreements made with employers, the wages of Work Trial participants and the length of these jobs is not collected.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.I hope this is helpful.
Annex A Work Trial participants and platings for April 1992 to March 1993 are as follows: Region Participants Placings Northern 196 125 Yorks and Humberside 102 67 East Midlands 147 87 London and South East 260 136 South West 89 41 Wales 158 83 West Midlands 132 65 North West 236 119 Scotland 384 227 Total 1,704 950
Annex B Work Trial participants and placings for the quarter April 1993 to June 1993 are as follows: Region Participants Placings Northern 74 39 Yorks and Humberside 107 56 East Midlands 207 132 London and South East 480 205 South West 119 62 Wales 165 93 West Midlands 189 116 North West 399 265 Scotland 420 229 Total 2,160 1,197