§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes were observed in the numbers386W claiming (a) unemployment benefit and (b) income support in the areas affected by foot and mouth disease during the period of the outbreak. [24391]
§ Malcolm WicksBetween March and October 2001, the Department received some 5,500 claims for jobseeker's allowance (JSA) in England, Scotland and Wales where people stated the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) was the reason for their previous employment ending. There is a normal monthly flow of people on to JSA of about 225,000. Over the same period there were 130 claims for income support attributed to FMD.
During this period employment continued to grow and new vacancies remained high—providing job opportunities for people leaving employment whatever the reason. Unemployment continued to fall in Wales, Scotland and in all the English regions except London, where it rose slightly.
On 11 April 2001, the Employment Service, together with the then Department for Education and Employment and learning and skills councils, established Rural Skills Action to help those affected by FMD retrain in other occupations. Rural Skills Action also helped people who had been laid off on a temporary basis to upgrade their skills.