§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what was the average number of hours per week advertised for jobs in each jobcentre in England in the latest week for which figures are available; [17715]
(2) what was the average number of jobs advertised in each jobcentre in England in each week from November 1996 to the latest week available; [17724]
(3) what percentage of jobs advertised in each jobcentre in England were for part-time work; and what percentage of jobs advertised in each job centre in England were for jobs specifying 40 hours or more in the latest week for which figures are available; [17716]
(4) what percentage of jobs advertised in each jobcentre in England were for permanent employment at the latest date for which figures are available; [17717]
470W(5) what was the average pay rate on offer at each jobcentre in England in the latest week for which figures are available; [17722]
(6) what was the lowest pay rate on offer at each jobcentre in England in the latest week for which figures are available. [17723]
§ Mr. ForthResponsibility 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 Leigh Lewis to Mr. Peter Pike, dated 3 March 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the details of vacancies held at Employment Service Jobcentres in England. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.The Employment Service (ES) does not collect figures relating to the average weekly hours of vacancies held at Jobcentres, nor details relating to vacancies specifying forty hours or more per week.I have arranged for a copy of a table to be placed in the Library, which shows the number of vacancies remaining unfilled at Jobcentres in England for the months of November 1996, December 1996 and January 1997. Vacancy statistics are collected on a monthly basis, rather than weekly, and published by the Office for National Statistics through the National Online Manpower Information System (NOMIS). A Nomis access point is located within the House of Commons Library.A simple split of vacancies between those which are part-time or full-time is held on Nomis, but the latest available figures relate to January 1996. I regret that later figures are not currently available as a result of problems arising from the introduction of new computer systems but I expect that the Office for National Statistics will be able to resume quarterly publication later this year when the problems have been overcome.Although the Employment Service does not collect regular figures on wage rates of vacancies held at Jobcentres, some national estimates are available from research. The latest available information relates to 1994 and was in the reply to your previous question which appeared in Official Report Column 907 dated 1 February 1996.I hope this is helpful.