HC Deb 08 December 1995 vol 268 cc440-5W
Mr. Ian McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if she will list all companies, by region, that have provided work placements for 50 or more unemployed people on community action programmes over the past 12 months; [4597]

(2) if she will list the companies that provide work placements to unemployed people on the community action programme, who will have their contracts reduced at the end of November, by region, indicating in each case the level of the reduction; [4601]

(3) what was the cost per unemployed person placed with the community action programme in the current financial year; [4599]

(4) how many people in each region are currently on community action programmes whose placements will be curtailed; [4603]

(5) what was the cost to public funds of the community action programme in the current financial year; [4598]

(6) what factors underlie the reduction of contracts to companies that provide work placements to unemployed people on the community action programme at the end of November 1995; [4602]

(7) if she will make a statement about the future of the community action programme; [4596]

(8) if she will list the companies that provide work placements to unemployed people on community action programme, by region, who will have their contracts withdrawn at the end of November indicating the reasons for the withdrawal of contracts; [4600]

(9) how many unemployed people are expected to be recruited onto the community action programme between 29 December 1995 and 31 March 1996. [4604]

Mr. Forth

Responsibility for the subject of the questions 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. Ian McCartney, dated 8 December 1995:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the closure of community Action, the cost of the programme and the people and organisations affected by the closure.Community Action is a programme of jobsearch help which is integrated with part-time work experience. It is delivered by providing organisations, chiefly in the voluntary/charitable sector through contracts with Employment Service regional offices.Following the Budget, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment announced that Community Action is to close and that recruitment to the programme will cease on 29 December 1995. Whilst Community Action is a useful programme, with falling unemployment and a necessary close scrutiny of the budgets of all government Departments, it no longer represents best value for money. As part of our current strategy to tackle longer-term unemployment in a more buoyant labour market we are changing programme provision to help more long term unemployed people receive help with jobsearch.The organisations who hold contracts to deliver Community Action are responsible for administration, delivery of the jobsearch element of the programme and also arranging work projects and placements for Community Action participants. Work projects and placements are with a wide range of voluntary/charitable organisations and these change continually. It is not therefore possible to provide a list of all organisations who have provided work placements in the last 12 months. I can, however, provide a list, by region, of all organisations who hold contracts to deliver Community Action. This is attached.This financial year, the average cost per person taking up a place on Community Action is £1,827. The budget for the programme is £70 million and at the end of October, the latest date for which figures are available, the programme had cost £44,947,987.At the end of October there were 12,909 people participating in Community Action. It is not our intention to terminate any of these people's participation prematurely. Indeed, we are currently working closely with providers to ensure that this is the case.I hope this is helpful.

Region Organisation Maximum number of places
NORTHN CTF 75
NORTHN Cumbria Training Company 39
NORTHN British Trust For Conservation Volunteers 29
NORTHN Northern Training Trust 106
NORTHN National Trust 39
NORTHN Archon 2000 124
NORTHN BOYS BRIGADE 35
NORTHN Community Care 32
NORTHN YMCA 30
NORTHN SUSTRANS 35
NORTHN Y Training 137
NORTHN NACRO NCT 96
NORTHN South Tyneside Churches 39
NORTHN Community Industry 31
NORTHN Cleveland Youth Association 85
NORTHN CSV 87
Y and H Atkis Ltd. 40
Y and H Morthyng Ltd. 57
Y and H Halifax URC Training 51
Y and H BTCV Enterprises 38
Y and H BTCV Enterprises 54
Y and H Bradford Cathedral Centre Ltd. 36
Y and H Great Grimsby Borough Council 58
Y and H Whitby Training Centre 30
Y and H Instant Muscle 32
Y and H Yorkshire Rural Community Council 29
Y and H CRA Accredited Trainers Ltd. 43
Y and H National Trust 47
Y and H Q-MAT Ltd. 35
Y and H Action for Employment—Dewsbury 47
Y and H Trainline Group Ltd. 36
Y and H BTCV Enterprises Ltd. 30
Y and H City Training Services 55
Y and H The Cellar Project 42
Y and H MYCC—Barnsley 16
Y and H MYCC—Wakefield 30
Y and H MYCC—Pontefract 48
Y and H MYCC—Huddersfield 53
Y and H Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce—Dewsbury 30
Y and H NACRO 35
Y and H NACRO 58
Y and H NACRO 36
Y and H Action For Employment 61
Y and H Action For Employment 81
Y and H Action For Employment 79
Y and H Action For Employment 75
Y and H Hillsborough Community Development Trust 32
Y and H Beverly Work Bridge Ltd. 126
Y and H Hull College 97

Region Organisation Maximum number of places
Y and H Action For Employment—Wakefield 48
Y and H BEST Ltd. 58
EM and E CTF Training 52
EM and E Cambridge Training and Development 38
EM and E Shakleton Associates 35
EM and E Jasmire 94
EM and E SAGAT 8
EM and E East Midlands Training services 25
EM and E Portals Business College 26
EM and E Lagat Ltd. 49
EM and E Boston Training Agency Ltd. 56
EM and E CRA 60
EM and E NACRO 223
EM and E Norwich YMCA 59
EM and E East Midlands Training Partnership 35
Em and E Employment Training Services 35
EM and E CTF 59
EM and E Aintree 40
EM and E Amber Valley 75
EM and E Grant Met 107
EM and E Mansfield Family Trust 70
EM and E Bestco 85
EM and E Dukeries Training Agency Ltd. 30
LASER Westminster Training and Development 200
LASER Workability 120
LASER Training Network (Central and West London) 100
LASER NACRO (Essex) 100
LASER BTCV Enterprises 80
LASER Sunnyside 40
LASER West Sussex County Council 200
LASER West Herts Training Consortium 140
LASER The Training and Business Factory (South London) Ltd. 280
LASER Training Network (North London) 100
LASER Training Network (Chilterns) 100
LASER Skills Training South Kent 100
LASER SELTO 285
LASER SEETEC 255
LASER Scout Enterprises 300
LASER Ridgemond Training 70
LASER Portals 150
LASER Oaklands College 90
LASER NESCOT 75
LASER National Trust (South) 128
LASER National Trust (North) 120
LASER NACRO (London) 120
LASER Civic Trust 310
LASER BBont 70
LASER Bridge Project 120
LASER BTCV Enterprises 203
LASER Can Do 100
LASER Career Ahead 100
LASER Community Industry 145
LASER Community Link 250
LASER Convergence Systems 130
LASER Crown College 100
LASER Croyden and South London Chamber of Commerce 75
LASER Dunstable College 130
LASER East Kent Itec 70
LASER East Sussex Health Authority 200
LASER Employment Initiatives Group 130
LASER Firmstart Medway 110
LASER GrantMet Trust 150
LASER GrantMet Trust Hampshire 250
LASER GrantMet Trust Sussex and Surrey 360
LASER Hadlow College 100
LASER Harlow College 175
LASER Headstart 215

Region Organisation Maximum number of places
LASER Haringley Education Service Training Agency 130
LASER Havering Group Training Association 120
LASER Instant Muscle 335
LASER Island Volunteers Service 80
LASER Kilburn Skills 204
LASER London Union of Youth Clubs 225
SW WESTON HERITAGE CENTRE LTD. 59
SW Ilfracombe Restoration and Training Trust 17
SW Community Link 35
SW Scout Enterprises (Western) Ltd. 60
SW BTCV Enterprises Ltd. 20
SW Great Western Enterprise Ltd. 63
SW The Civic Trust 125
SW Instant Muscle 84
SW Grandmet Trust 357
SW NACRO/NCT 20
SW Training for Employment 52
SW Dartington Tech. 40
SW Torridge Training Services Ltd. 30
SW Plymouth City Council 40
SW Community Service Volunteers 31
SW DM Training 37
SW Groundwork Trust 40
SW The National Trust 170
WALES Track 2000 20
WALES Taff Ely Borough Council 12
WALES Mid-Glamorgan Community Education 20
WALES Gwent Quality Training 20
WALES Holyhead Opportunities Trust 10
WALES Ceredigion District Council 15
WALES Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations 30
WALES Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations 20
WALES Community Studies (Deeside College) 44
WALES Scout Enterprises (Western) Ltd. 15
WALES Scout Enterprises (Western) Ltd. 30
WALES Scout Enterprises (Western) Ltd. 30
WALES Co-Options Ltd. 9
WALES Ynys Mon Borough Council 12
WALES NACRO (NCT) 20
WALES NACRO (NCT) 20
WALES NACRO (NCT) 10
WALES CSV Training Wales 5
WALES CSV Training Wales 27
WALES Aderyn 25
WALES Community Industry 18
WALES National Trust 7
WALES Instant Muscle Ltd. 18
WALES Instant Muscle Ltd. 60
WALES Neath Borough Council Training Agency 17
WALES Instant Muscle 20
WALES Instant Muscle 51
WALES Instant Muscle 18
WALES BTCV Enterprises Ltd. 33
WALES BTCV Enterprises Ltd. 12
WALES BTCV Enterprises Ltd. 17
WALES Community Industry 8
WALES Community Industry 17
WALES Community Industry 12
WMIDS BTCV Enterprises 100
WMIDS BVSC 200
WMIDS Comex EIC 100
WMIDS Community Industry 210
WMIDS Employment Training in Warwickshire 40
WMIDS Lloyds Training 45
WMIDS Most Training 100
WMIDS New Careers Training Shropshire 100
WMIDS New Careers Training Staffordshire 90

Region Organisation Maximum number of places
WMIDS Shropshire County Training 100
WMIDS Staffordshire County Training 50
WMIDS Warwickshire Bureau 50
WMIDS Warwickshire Wildlife Trust 30
WMIDS Worcester College of Technology 75
WMIDS Beacon Centre for the Blind 100
NRTHWEST Beneast Training Ltd. 547
NRTHWEST NACRO 113
NRTHWEST Serve Wirral Trust Co. Ltd. 70
NRTHWEST Rathbone 90
NRTHWEST CLEE Training 95
NRTHWEST Wigan Metropolitan Training 90
NRTHWEST Fazakerley and District CWP Agency 214
NRTHWEST Grandmet Trust 180
NRTHWEST Training Network 105
NRTHWEST BTCV 80
NRTHWEST Jarvis Training Management 341
NRTHWEST Business Support Unit Ltd. 230
NRTHWEST Beneast Training Ltd. 230
NRTHWEST Cumbria Training Co. Ltd. 150
NRTHWEST Sefton Council Adult Training 90
NRTHWEST Specialised Technical Services 215
NRTHWEST Thameside Aides and Services for the Handicapped 100
SCOT Training Craft 45
SCOT Community Industry 190
SCOT Wester Hailes Management Agency 30
SCOT Volunteer Centre 50
SCOT Balloch Trust Enterprises Ltd. 40
SCOT CSV 190
SCOT Lewis Council of Social Services 6
SCOTR Royal Zoological Society 40
SCOT Scottish Wildlife Trust 100
SCOT Grandmet Trust 200
SCOT Access Partnership 50
SCOT Wigtown Council for Voluntary Services 30
SCOT MI Technologies Limited 425
SCOT Galloway Training Limited 100
SCOT Lothian Training Limited 20
SCOT Grainshore Training Centre 10
SCOT Caithness and Sutherland Training Trust 30
SCOT Best Limited 50
SCOT Ard Ross 100
SCOT Scottish National Council of YMCAs 135
SCOT Nevis Training Centre 30
SCOT IMS 265
NRTHWEST Rathbone 90
NRTHWEST CLEE Training 95
NRTHWEST Wigan Metropolitan Training 90
NRTHWEST Fazakerley and District CWP Agency 214
NRTHWEST Grandmet Trust 180
NRTHWEST Training Network 105
NRTHWEST BTCV 80
NRTHWEST Jarvis Training Management 341
NRTHWEST Business Support Unit Ltd. 230
NRTHWEST Beneast Training Ltd. 230
NRTHWEST Cumbria Training Co. Ltd. 150
NRTHWEST Sefton Council Adult Training 90
NRTHWEST Specialised Technical Services 215
NRTHWEST Thameside Aides and Services for the Handicapped 100
SCOT Training Craft 45
SCOT Community Industry 190
SCOT Wester Hailes Management Agency 30
SCOT Volunteer Centre 50
SCOT Balloch Trust Enterprises Ltd. 40
SCOT CSV 190
SCOT Lewis Council of Social Services 6
SCOTR Royal Zoological Society 40
SCOT Scottish Wildlife Trust 100

Region Organisation Maximum number of places
SCOT Grandmet Trust 200
SCOT Access Partnership 50
SCOT Wigtown Council for Voluntary Services 30
SCOT MI Technologies Limited 425
SCOT Galloway Training Limited 100
SCOT Lothian Training Limited 20
SCOT Grainshore Training Centre 10
SCOT Caithness and Sutherland Training Trust 30
SCOT Best Limited 50
SCOT Ard Ross 100
SCOT Scottish National Council of YMCAs 135
SCOT Nevis Training Centre 30
SCOT IMS 265