§ Mr. HardyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how may redundant steelworkers have retrained for alternative occupations through ISERBS—iron and steel employees readaptation benefits scheme—support during the last 10 years.
§ Mr. SainsburyDetailed figures for all of the last 10 years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, since 1 January 1989, 8,390 redundant steel workers have been eligible for ISERBS benefits, of which 4,183 have retrained.
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the relative position of steelworkers entering redundancy with and without the benefit of ISERBS—iron and steel employees readaptation benefits scheme—support; and what assessment he has made of the employment consequences of termination of this scheme.
§ Mr. SainsburyA full evaluation was conducted in 1992. A copy of the report was placed in the House of Commons Library on 29 October 1993.
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what total sums have been paid to redundant steelworkers in the United Kingdom through the iron and steel employees readaptation benefits scheme—arrangements in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of these sums have been provided by the European Commission.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe figures requested, at 1992–93 prices, are as follows:
There is a time lag between ISERBS payments being made and receipt of the contribution from the European Commission.
Financial Year Total ISERBS payments £m Commission contribution £m 1983–84 80.3 54.7 1984–85 50.9 27.1 1985–86 33.5 20.6 1986–87 28.9 12.7 1987–88 24.6 8.2 1988–89 7.4 8.0 1989–90 6.8 5.6 1990–91 18.9 0.6 1991–92 30.0 3.6 1992–93 50.1 5.4
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date he proposes to end the ISERBS arrangements to assist redundant steelworkers to retrain or to relocate and to reduce the unemployment effect of contraction in that industry.
252W
§ Mr. SainsburyI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 29 October 1993,Official Report, column 804.