HC Deb 25 October 1994 vol 248 cc570-1W
Ms Short

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress the Employment Service has made in meeting the targets outlined in the 1994–95 agency agreement; and if he will list for each quarter(a) the total unemployed job placings and variance from targets, (b) the long-term unemployed job placings and variance from targets, (c) job placings of people with disabilities and variance from target, (d) inner-city job placings and variance from target, (e) the number of claims not pursued following initial contact and variance from target, (f) the number of claimants moved from unemployment benefit to another benefit and variance from target, (g) the number of people who withdrew their claim to benefit after contact with fraud investigators and variance from target, (h) the number of submissions to adjudication where there is an arguable case with supporting information to show that the claimant is not available for, actively seeking or willing to accept work and variance from target; (i) the number of positive outcomes for unemployed claimants invited to a 12 month advisory interview and variance from target and (j) the number of positive outcomes for unemployed claimants invited to a 24-month advisory interview and variance from target.

Miss Widdecombe

The Employment Service is making progress against its target for 1994–95, meeting or exceeding almost all at the mid-year stage. It placed 992,100 unemployed people into jobs in the first two quarters, against an annual target of 1.7 million. This represents 133,100 more placings than at the same stage last year. Performance to date is set out in the following table. There is no target for the number of claimants moved from unemployment benefit to another benefit.

Employment Service Performance Against Target

April—September 1994

Annual performance targets Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Cumulative Target levels
Total placings of unemployed people in jobs 482,500 509,600 992,100 1,700,000
Long-term claimants placed into jobs as a percentage of

total unemployed placings

29.5 per cent. 28.9 per cent. 29.2 per cent. 29.5 per cent.
(c)People with disabilities placed into jobs as a percentage

of total unemployed placings

3.5 per cent. 3.6 per cent. 3.6 per cent. 3.3 per cent.
(d) Unemployed people in inner cities placed into jobs as a

percentage of total unemployed

26.7 per cent. 27.2 per cent. 27 per cent. 26 per cent.
(e) Benefit claims not pursued following initial contact with

ES (as percentage of initial enquires

11 per cent. 10 per cent. 10 per cent. 9 per cent.
(g) People signing off as a result of action by fraud officer 21,850 22,800 44,650 70,000
(h) Adjudication submissions on availability for, actively

seeking or refusal of employment (against profile)

32,900 49,000 81,900 135,000
(i) Positive Outcomes for unemployment claimants invited

to a 12 month advisory interview

40 per cent. 54 per cent. 47 per cent. 50 per cent.
(j) Positive Outcomes for unemployment claimants invited

to a 24 month advisory interview

34 per cent. 44 per cent. 39 per cent. 35 per cent.