Employment Service In London

EDM number 1297 in 1994-95, proposed by Jim Dowd on 26/06/1995.

That this House is aware that in the financial year 1994-95 the Employment Service in London and the South East was overtaken by a mid-year budgetary crisis which saw, amongst other things, a ban on overtime and promotions, volunteers taking a reduction in hours or extended periods of unpaid leave over Christmas and from January to March, and the widespread sacking of casual staff, and that this has had a markedly adverse effect on the service offered to claimants which has resulted in offices across London facing the problems created by 5-10 per cent. below authorised staffing levels, lunchtime closures, reductions in client advisor services, including unfilled posts for disablement advisors, and a consequent rise in levels of sick leave, which are combining to produce an increase in waiting times for claimants; and calls upon the Department of Employment to take steps to remedy this position and ensure that nothing similar occurs in the current financial year.

This motion has been signed by a total of 45 MPs.