HC Deb 23 May 1995 vol 260 cc566-7W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his policy regarding smoking at job clubs. [25750]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 23 May 1995: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the smoking policy in Jobclubs. In 1994 a policy on smoking in all Employment Service (ES) programmes, including Jobclub, was introduced. The principle of the policy is that participants shall be entitled to a smoke free environment. In practice this means that unrestricted smoking is not allowed on any ES workshops, seminars or courses, including Jobclub. Wherever possible, designated areas and times should be provided for smokers. 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 over 266,000 unemployed people joined Jobclub last year. I hope this is helpful.