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Unemployment
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what support is available to unemployed single people over 25 to get work; what plans he has for further initiatives in this field. [140529]
Ms Jowell: The Government are determined to tackle long-term unemployment. As a result of our economic and active labour market policies, the number of people aged 25 and over unemployed for two years or more has fallen by 63 per cent. since May 1997.
The New Deals are a key part of our efforts to tackle long-term unemployment. From April 2001 we will be introducing an enhanced New Deal for those aged 25 and over, which will provide high quality, intensive and individually tailored help. It will be much more flexible to ensure that we can address the barriers faced by each individual. Alongside this new programme, we are also testing a more radical approach in 15 "Employment Zones", in which individuals are, through the Personal Job Account, given a real say in how the money is spent in the effort to help them back into work.
This help for long-term unemployed people is part of an improved range of support for all unemployed people aged 25 and over to be introduced next year, which will begin on the first day of registered unemployment and increase in intensity in proportion to the individual's labour market disadvantage. There will be access to an extensive database of jobs, regular contact with people who can give advice on jobs and training opportunities, help with improving interview and job hunting techniques, help with fares to interview and training to refresh skills or learn new ones.
After-school Clubs
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about the provision of after-school clubs. [140857]
Jacqui Smith: Earlier this year MORI and BMRB International conducted a series of surveys on the provision of out-of-school hours learning activities in schools. The survey showed that sports, music and the creative and performing arts were the most popular activities, offered at nearly all secondary schools and a significant number of primary schools. Seven out of 10 schools said the amount of out-of-school activities on offer had increased over the last two years. For the first time, dedicated funding has been made available to schools, local education authorities and their partners through the New Opportunities Fund (£160 million from
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April 1999) and the Standards fund (£20 million for 2000-01 and £60 million for 2001-02), to develop structured programmes of activities.
Since April 1999 Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships have reported the creation of 21,138 new childcare places in after school group provision, 12,098 places in before and after school group provision and a further 15,017 1 in all year around group provision offering both term-time and holiday care. These 48,253 new places have provided care to some 96,500 children and, taking into account turnover, have added almost 40,000 places to the stock of places available across England.
- 1 It is not possible to separate after school group provision from all year provision. A small percentage of this figure may only include before school and holiday provision.
New Deal (Disabled People)
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the results of the pilots for the New Deal for Disabled People and the incorporation of their experience into the national scheme. [140395]
Ms Hodge: The contribution that the pilots are making to our learning and experience is vital to the progress of the New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP). Interim findings from the NDDP pilots were published in December 1999. These findings, and the lessons currently being derived from work still under way, have fed into the design of the national extension of NDDP. We plan to publish the final evaluation reports in late spring 2001. The extension of NDDP will continue to test out, on a larger scale, what works in helping long-term sick and disabled people into work.
On 13 November 2000, the Under-Secretary of State for Social Security, my hon. Friend the Member for City of York (Mr. Bayley), and I launched a prospectus outlining the key elements for extending the New Deal for Disabled People on a national basis. The prospectus paved the way for an invitation to tender published on 27 November for organisations that are interested in delivering the Job Broker service element of the national extension of NDDP, which will begin in July 2001.
Religious Liberties
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what changes his Department has proposed to the draft EU Employment Directive to ensure that the religious liberties of individuals and groups are respected. [134770]
Ms Hodge: The Employment Directive was agreed by the Council of Ministers on 17 October.
The UK secured a number of amendments to the original proposal with a view to improving its clarity, workability and appropriateness to particular national contexts. The final text outlaws discrimination at work and in training on grounds of a person's religion or belief, and on three other grounds. It also contains a new
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provision, which allows member states to make special arrangements for organisations whose ethos is based on religion or belief to permit them:
- to treat employees differently on the basis of their religion or belief where, because of the ethos of the organisation concerned, religion or belief is a genuine occupational requirement. This would, for example, allow a religious organisation to exercise a preference for members of the same faith when recruiting staff; and
- to require employees to act in good faith and loyalty towards that ethos.
PFI Projects (Schools)
Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list (a) the average value for money figure for PFI schemes for schools measured by the difference between the risk adjusted public sector comparator and the net private cost, broken down by (i) average for bundled projects and (ii) average for single school projects and (b) list the highest and lowest value for money figures for bundled and single PFI education projects. [139506]
Jacqui Smith: Value for money is the prime consideration in any decision to support a schools PFI project. To date, all schools' PFI schemes have demonstrated a positive value for money benefit against the assessed cost of a comparable public sector project.
One of the methods through which local authorities ensure that value for money is achieved is by letting PFI contracts through a competitive tendering process. The value for money achieved by previous schemes, whether as an average or for individual projects, could be very useful information to potential bidders, as it would enable them to target their bids. To ensure that any future tenders for schools PFI projects continue to achieve best value, I must respect the commercial confidentiality of the value for money figures provided by local authorities.
Nuffield Language Inquiry
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the report of the Nuffield Language Inquiry; and if he will make a statement. [139285]
Jacqui Smith: We recognise the importance of the Nuffield Languages Inquiry's research, and will be producing a clear statement of response in the new year which takes account of Nuffield's main recommendations, and highlights the positive languages policies already in place. We are already doing a great deal to promote learning in this field, for example by expanding our numbers of Specialist Language Colleges and offering attractive incentives to teacher trainees. The statement will reinforce our commitment to broadening opportunities and will point to where there will be scope for development. Our Languages National Training Organisation has already indicated its readiness to participate in vocational language learning initiatives. Additionally we are working with our key partners to promote the programme of events for next year's European Year of Languages. We have recently
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broached these matters in discussions with our Nuffield colleagues and in formulating our statement we will be working in consultation with them.
Schools (Internet)
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what provision he has made for training teachers in the safe use of the internet in the classroom; what estimate he has made of the number of teachers who have received such training; what proportion of schools have received the Superhighway safety pack; and what plans he has to ensure all schools receive the pack. [140791]
Mr. Wills: Teachers are being provided with the opportunity to undertake training on the pedagogical use of ICT through the £230 million new opportunities fund funded programme. This includes training in the safe use of the Internet in the classroom. Over 140,000 teachers are signed up with providers and we estimate that around 90,000 have completed or are about to complete their training.
In addition, advice to schools and teachers on acceptable use policies is included within the Superhighway safety pack. The Superhighway safety pack was not dispatched to all schools. Information about it, including details of where to obtain it, is made available in a number of different ways, including: the regular listings of DfEE publications sent to all schools; the Teachers magazine and various departmental websites. Since its first production in September 1999 around 18,000 copies of the guide have been despatched.
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