---

Dept for Education and Employment;Employment Service

Answer

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what instructions and guidance have been issued to jobcentres in connection with the admissibility of job advertisements referring to the application, enthusiasm or capacity of potential applicants, in connection with their obligation to comply with disability and other equal opportunities legislation. [125400] Ms Jowell: 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. Tim Boswell, dated 12 June 2000: As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the instructions and guidance given to Jobcentres in the administration of job advertisements, in connection with their obligation to comply with disability and other equal opportunities legislation. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency. Guidance to Jobcentre staff instructs them that job advertisements should avoid language that might unfairly discriminate against groups of unemployed jobseekers. However, all Jobcentres have now been reminded that terms such as "hard working", "enthusiastic", and "reliable" are normal descriptions, which can be freely used in vacancy advertisements. We have also asked Jobcentre staff to apply common sense and accept an employer's wording, unless it would be clearly inappropriate to do so.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

125400; 351 c529W

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Disability Advertising Employment Equality Jobcentres

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk