To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the full numerical basis of the national restart interview results referred to in a Manpower Services Commission evaluation report on follow-up interviewees and the restart programme, paragraph 4.34, page 16, Manpower Services Commission, CSBI, March, which outlines the people starting menu items as a proportion of submissions to that item; how many interviews referred to each item; and how many started each of those menu items.
Information on the numbers interviewed on the restart programme between July 1986 and April 1988 and the numbers referred to each menu item is shown in the table. We do not know how many people ultimately end up in a job or other opportunity after a restart interview since we do not follow up every referral. The figures on which the table in the report are based are not comprehensive but taken together with the other evidence in connection with the pilot exercise they confirm the effectiveness of the follow-up interviews. Between July 1986 and 29 April 1988, 3,725,563 restart interviews took place. These resulted in:
| Referrals | |
| Jobs | 326,7100 |
| Community Programme | 299,800 |
| Voluntary Projects Programme/Voluntary Work | 80,600 |
| Jobclub | 323,200 |
| New Job Training Scheme | 253,900 |
| Other Training | 306,900 |
| Employment Rehabilitation Centre | 9,200 |
| Restart Course | 283,300 |
| Enterprise Allowance Scheme | 145,000 |
| Disablement Resettlement Officer | 126,500 |
| Claimant Adviser | 157,300 |
| Other Referrals (inc. PER) | 678,500 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the results of the Manpower Services Commission's evaluation of the impact that follow-up restart interviews have had on the unemployment count.
The evaluation of the impact of follow-up restart interviews showed that these further interviews are particularly effective. Increasing the take-up of opportunities available under the restart programme will inevitably have an effect on the number of people claiming unemployment benefit.
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is his intention to introduce national follow-up restart interviews; and if he will make a statement.
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in the White Paper "Training for Employment" the restart programme will be developed further during 1988–89. An important aspect of this development is the phased introduction of follow-up interviews throughout the country.