§ Mr. William PowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many restart interviews were carried out at the jobcentre in Corby; and what evaluation he has made of their impact to date on(a) jobs, (b) other benefits, (c) signing off and (d) enrolment on Department of Employment programmes. [20271]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility 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. William Powell dated 24 April 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about Restart interviews carried out at the Employment Service (ES) Jobcentre in Corby.All ES local offices provide a structured and coherent advisory and information service which is aimed at helping clients back into work as soon as possible. This service is based on regular interviews with an adviser, at which clients are able to discuss their situations, consider the options available and agree a course of action which will offer the best prospects of finding employment.Those who remain unemployed for six months are required to attend a Restart interview during which employment and training programmes specifically designed to help longer term unemployed are discussed. Programmes discussed include Jobclub, Training For Work, Jobplan Workshop, and Restart courses. These interviews are carried out on an ongoing basis at six monthly intervals.The following table provides a breakdown of Restart interviews carried out at the Corby Jobcentre over the last 2 financial years.
12 months to April 1995 12 months to April 1994 Number of Restart Interviews 3,476 3,104 Clients gaining employment 100 41 Clients entering ED programmes 888 893 Clients claiming other benefits 148 57 Clients signing off 267 33