Publications (Hansard, 26 October 1994)

§ Miss Widdecombe

Command papers issued by the Department in the last 12 months are as followsCompetitiveness 'Helping Britain to Win', Column 2563. Published May 1994, jointly with the Department of Trade and Industry and nine other Government Departments. Jobseeker's Allowance", Column 2687. Published October 1994, jointly with the Department of Social Security. 676W outcomes for the whole of 1993–94 and from 1 April to 31 August. Those who are shown as going into other positive outcomes will have moved on to either training, full-time education or self-employment. The average length of time people spend in Jobclubs is not routinely recorded. However a sample study in March showed that 58 per cent. of clients leave within 12 weeks and a further 22 per cent. within 21 weeks. Records of the number of people in Jobclubs at any one time are not kept. However, the attached table shows that 107,952 people joined the programme in the first five months of the 1994–95 operational year, an average of 5,140 a week. The wage rates that apply to jobs found by Jobclub members were last examined in January 1991, based on a postal survey of individuals who joined in Autumn 1989. At that time, 26 per cent. of respondents went into jobs with a wage of up to £80 per week and a further 60 per cent. went into jobs which paid £81 to £160 per week and 15 per cent. received over £160 per week. The Employment Service is undertaking a wide ranging evaluation of four of its placing services including Jobclub. This began in the spring and will examine, amongst other things, the wage rates of leavers going into employment. The report should be available next year. Jobclubs continue to be both popular with the people who join and an effective way of helping them back to work. We are now able to help more members than at any time before and 45 per cent. of leavers are successful in finding jobs. I hope this is helpful.