§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress the employment service has made in each quarter in meeting the targets outlined in the 1992–93 agency agreement; and what were the(a) total unemployed job placings against profiled target, (b) long-term unemployed job placings, (c) people with disabilities job placings, (d) inner-city job placings, (e) employment training referral to start ratio, (f) actual number and proportion of new claims not pursued following initial contact and (g) number of people who withdrew their claim to benefit after contact with fraud investigators, for each quarter.
§ Mr. McLoughlinI am informed by the chief executive of the employment service that in the last quarter of 1992–93, ES placed a total of 324,400 unemployed people into jobs, bringing the total to 1,420,400 against an annual target of 1.425 million. Twenty-five per cent. of this quarter's placings were long-term claimants, 2.9 per cent. were people with disabilities and 35 per cent. were unemployed people in inner cities bringing the annual totals to 24 per cent., 2.8 per cent. and 34 per cent. against annual targets of 19 per cent., 2.5 per cent. and 36 per cent. respectively. The Employment Training/Employment Action referral to start ratio was 2.5: 1, resulting in a total of 2.6:1 against an annual target of 2.5: 1. New claims not pursued following initial contact in the final quarter were 107,798, 9 per cent. of initial inquiries, resulting in a total of 481,722 at the annual target level of 10 per cent. A total of 11,900 pepole withdrew their claim to benefit after contact with fraud investigators in the final quarter, bringing the total to 61,000 against an annual target of 58,000. For information on the employment service's performance for each of the first three quarters of 1992–93 I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave her on 28 October 1992,Official Report, columns 725–26, and on 9 December 1992, Official Report, columns 733–34, and the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Dorset, South (Mr. Bruce) on 16 February 1993, Official Report, column 185.