§ Mr. RooneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many claimants had their jobseeker's allowance reduced during 1996–97 for(a) two weeks and (b) four weeks for not attending or failing to complete (i) jobplan workshops, (ii) restart courses, (iii) workwise and worklink, (iv) 1–2–1, (v) project work and (vi) non-prescribed Government programmes where referral was under a jobseeker's direction. [7733]
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§ Mr. Alan HowarthResponsibility 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 Leigh Lewis to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 10 July 1997:
The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your question about how many claimants had their Jobseeker's Allowance reduced during 1996/97 for: (a) two weeks and (b) fours weeks, for not attending or failing to complete (i) jobplan workshops, (ii) restart courses. (iii) workwise and worklink, (iv) 1–2–1, (v) Project Work and (vi) non-prescribed Government programmes where referral was under a jobseeker's Direction. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Employment Service.Information on the number of Adjudication Officers' decisions and opinions, and disallowance rates, is contained in a published document entitled "Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions". This provides information on all of the labour market entitlement and sanction questions arising on claims. Copies of this document are held in the Library of the House.Unfortunately, information is not available in the form you request. However, it may be helpful if I explain that a total of 763 sanctions were imposed in 1996/97 for:refusal of a place on a training scheme or employment programme,failure to attend a place on a training scheme or employment programme,giving up a place on a training scheme or employment programme,losing a place on a training scheme or employment programme through misconduct, andneglect to avail of a place on a training scheme or employment programme.Schemes and programmes included in this definition are Jobplan Workshops, Restart Courses, Workwise, Worklink, and Project Work. Employment Service statistics do not identify the number of sanctions relating to each programme, nor do they differentiate between two week and four week sanctions.The total number of sanctions imposed in 1996/97 for refusal or failure to carry out a Jobseeker's Direction was 215. It is not possible to say whether any of these related to employment programmes.There is no specific sanction relating to failure to attend 1–2–1 interviews, hut entitlement to Jobseeker's Allowance can be lost if a person fails to attend, without good cause, any Employment Service advisory interview. The total number of sanctions on these grounds during 1996/97 was 110.I hope this is helpful.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate she has made of the number of people aged 18 to 24 years who will face a benefit sanction of 100 per cent. of their jobseeker's allowance at any time during the first full year of operation of the welfare-to-work proposals. [7771]
§ Mr. HowarthWe have made no such estimates. We shall offer high quality options of work and training which we expect to be attractive to those eligible to participate in the New Deal.