Tories plan non-English speaking penalties

28/05/2008

The Conservative party has announced it would reduce employment benefit for non-English speakers who refused to take lessons.

Its scheme is designed to improve employability and could come into force should Labour lose the next general election.

"When someone goes to the provider, they will be assessed and if their English isn't up to scratch they will have to attend a mandatory English language training course," a spokesperson told politics.co.uk.

Chris Grayling, shadow work and pensions secretary, gave a speech on welfare reform, in which he said authorities would take a strong stance on young people claiming job seekers allowance

"For this group, the welfare to work process will start much earlier," he said. "There will be employment 'boot camps' and community work programmes for those who don’t find a job."

Recent government statistics revealed the number of economically inactive people of working age was 7.89 million in the three months to January 2008.

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