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Written question asked by David Lidington (Conservative) on Thursday, 29 June 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 July 2000. It was answered by Baroness Jowell (Labour) on Monday, 10 July 2000 on behalf of the Department for Education and Employment.

Dept for Education and Employment;Employment Service

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what guidance he issues to jobcentres about preventing persons not lawfully entitled to work in the United Kingdom having access to their services; and if he will make a statement; what checks jobcentres are required to undertake (a) generally and (b) prior to reference to an employment agency in order to ensure that persons seeking employment are allowed to work in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. - Text of letter from Leigh Lewis of the Employment Service Agency.
Answer

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what guidance he issues to Jobcentres about preventing persons not lawfully entitled to work in the United Kingdom having access to their services; and if he will make a statement; [128921] (2) what checks Jobcentres are required to undertake (a) generally and (b) prior to reference to an employment agency in order to ensure that persons seeking employment are allowed to work in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [128924] Ms Jowell: [holding answer 4 July 2000]: Responsibility for the subject of the question 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. David Lidington, dated 10 July 2000: As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about ensuring that persons seeking employment in the United Kingdom are entitled to do so. Permission to work in the United Kingdom is a matter for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office. While Jobcentres do have advice available to them on which groups of jobseekers from outside the UK are entitled to work in the UK, it would not be practical for them to undertake nationality checks given the fact that they make some 20 million job submissions annually. It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that jobseekers have permission to work. Employment Service guidance to Jobcentres states that non-EEA (European Economic Area) jobseekers are not entitled to obtain work in the UK without a work permit. It advises staff to pass inquiries to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Similarly, vacancies advertised via the Employment Service website carry a statement which makes clear that the vacancies are not open to non-EEA jobseekers. I hope this is helpful.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
353 c413-4W;353 c411-2W; 128921;128924
Session
1999-00
Subjects
Access Employment Jobcentres Migrant workers Vetting Work permits
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk