§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the work of the Employment Service in 1994–95. [36080]
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardI am pleased to announce that the Employment Service achieved excellent results in 1994–95. It placed over 1.87 million unemployed people into work, of whom 29.7 per cent. had been out of work for six months or more. It also exceeded its targets for placing people with disabilities and people in inner cities.
The ES has exceeded all but one of its targets this year giving unemployed people a record level of help. Its results in placing people into work are excellent and it has made steady improvements over the last five years.
The targets agreed for 1995–96 will enable the ES to build on its exceptional results last year, and help yet more unemployed people while preparing for the introduction of jobseeker's allowance.
1192WThese targets include placing 1.9 million unemployed people into jobs, of whom at least 560,500 should be people unemployed for six months or more; and 76,000 should be people with disabilities—the highest total yet.