Employment Exchange Staff (Hansard, 25 May 1993)

§ Mr. McLoughlin

Responsibility 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 Mr. Michael Gapes, dated 25 May 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 her about the incentive scheme for employment exchange staff, its relation to the number of people in employment, and incentive payments made in the Ilford office in the last year. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

We do not operate an incentive scheme, and therefore no incentive payments were made last year to people working at Ilford Jobcentre. We do however make use of a Civil Service wide scheme which relates pay more generally with overall performance. In doing so, we are following the principles of the Citizen's Charter White Paper, which recognizes that the ways in which people are paid can have an effect on 524W performance and that pay systems in the public sector need to make a regular and direct link between a person's contribution to the standards of service provided and their reward.

Our adoption of this approach is consistent with progress towards the more businesslike delivery of services in the public sector, which is also embodied in the Citizen's Charter White Paper. Our standards of service to clients are an important part of our overall performance. These have been clearly set out in the Jobseeker's Charter and are displayed with information about performance in local offices. The focus of the Jobseeker's Charter is standards of service, such as waiting times and the accurate and prompt payment of benefit to those who are entitled to receive it—and not target numbers.

Whilst our activities have some impact on overall employment levels, by mobilising the potential labour force into active jobsearch, their effect is diffuse and complex and so can only be estimated rather than measured. The number of people in employment is determined primarily by the strength of the economy.

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.