§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her latest estimate of(a) the total number of people who have received jobmatch payments, (b) the total number applying, (c) the number refused, by reason of refusal, (d) the total cost of the scheme and (e) the annual cost of extending the pilot scheme to all age groups nationally. [15089]
§ Mr. ForthThe information available is as follows:(a) over 6,000 people have joined the jobmatch programme since April 1995, (b) we do not keep records of the numbers applying for jobmatch, or (c) the number of people refused, but the only circumstances in which this would happen would be where either the person was not eligible or the job was not a qualifying one, (d) the estimated cost of the jobmatch pilots which end in March 1997 is £8 million and, (e) the cost of extending jobmatch to all age groups nationally would be about £50 million per year.