COMPANIES and charities that give placements to the unemployed in Scotland under the UK Government's controversial unpaid work schemes have been granted anonymity.
Protest groups targeting Mandatory Work Activity and other programmes are being blamed for a decision to keep secret the names of a dwindling band of companies still willing to provide work placements under the flagship employability schemes, which require those on benefits to take up voluntary work, unpaid work placements, or lose their support.
The Department of Work and Pensions said it would not respond to Freedom of Information requests from The Herald as they were "harming the commercial interests" of the firms involved.
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