asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the cost of the job release scheme; how many people participated in it last year; and what was the cost per place.

In the financial year 1977–78 the value of the allowances paid was £15,326,000; 13,650 people joined the job release scheme; and the value of allowances per person participating was £1,123. The net cost is substantially lower, as a result of savings of unemployment benefit and supplementary allowances which would otherwise have been paid to those who replaced job release applicants.