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Pensions Service
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local advisers will be assigned to each local office of the new Pensions Service; what its total staffing complement will be; and if he will make a statement on plans to offer claimants a personal interview if requested. [18026]
Mr. McCartney [holding answer 23 November 2001]: The Pension Service will provide a customer-focused service dedicated to the needs of today's and future pensioners. It will be modern and efficient, and accessible by telephone, post, in time the internet and locally where pensioners need to do so. It will work to join up services for pensioners both locally and nationally and will build on existing best practice.
There will be a local service in each area offering a face to face service for those customers who need it. In addition the local service will work with other locally based organisations to provide information on the full range of local services of interest to pensioners through outreach and visiting activity. The design and size of the local service is currently being planned.
New Deal
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) record is kept and (b) assessment made of the destinations of people who leave the new deal for lone parents for employment. [18055]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Records of the destination of people leaving the new deal for lone parents are published monthly in the Statistical First Release, which is available in the Library.
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made on the effectiveness of the new deal for lone parents in south Tyneside. [17404]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We are giving lone parents more choices and more help than ever before to move off welfare and into work. The new deal for lone parents is a key part of this range of support and has helped over 100,000 lone parents to find work.
By the end of August, 2,116 lone parents had joined the new deal for lone parents in the Gateshead and south Tyneside district. 301 of these lone parents have taken up education or training opportunities and 1,064 have moved into work.
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Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those on the new deal for lone parents left for employment in the last 12 months, broken down by region. [9641]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Across Great Britain 56 per cent. of those leaving the new deal for lone parents left for employment during the last 12 months.
A regional break down is provided in the table.
| Employment service region | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Scotland | 62 |
| Wales | 63 |
| Northern | 60 |
| North West | 57 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 66 |
| West Midlands | 52 |
| East Midlands and Eastern | 59 |
| South West | 58 |
| London and South East | 46 |
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the effects of the new deal for lone parents on levels of employment and benefit take-up among lone parents. [9680]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The following reports have been commissioned but have not yet been published:
| Date expected | Title |
|---|---|
| Spring 2002 | Synthesis Report 2002 |
| Spring 2003 | Quantitative Survey of Lone Parents |
The following reports have already been published:
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| June 2000 | The New Deal for Lone Parents: A Review of Evaluation Evidence |
| April 2001 | Jobfinders Grant: Research amongst lone parents |
| August 2001 | New Deal for Lone Parents: An Evaluation of the Innovative Pilots |
| October 2001 | NDLP Evaluation: A Quantitative Survey of Lone Parents on Income Support |
The Statistical First Release, published monthly with information from the NDLP database, also includes useful information.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have entered the new deal gateway (a) once, (b) twice and (c) three times or more in respect of the (i) new deal for lone parents, (ii) new deal for young people, (iii) new deal for the over 25s, (iv) new deal for the over 50s and (v) new deal for disabled people. [11593]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: At August 2001, 697,400 people had entered the new deal for young people programme. Of these 100,200 clients have entered the programme twice and 9,100 have entered three or more times.
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At August 2001, 355,400 people had entered the pre-April 2001 new deal 25 plus programme. Of these 65,150 clients have entered the programme twice and 11,150 have entered three or more times.
Information is not available on the number of people re-entering the new deal for lone parents, the new deal for disabled people or new deal 50 plus.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the impact of the new deal for the over 50s on levels of employment and benefit take-up among the over 50s. [11594]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Although there has been a considerable amount of research into benefit take-up by pensioners, there is none which has been specifically targeted at the over 50s.
Research of new deal 50 plus has been commissioned. The research reports (with dates where published) are:
- Evaluation of new deal 50 plus: qualitative evidence from clients: first phase—July 2000
Evaluation of new deal 50 plus: qualitative evidence from ES and BA staff: first phase—August 2000
Evaluation of new deal 50 plus: qualitative evidence from ES and BA staff: second phase—March 2001
Evaluation of new deal 50 plus: qualitative evidence from clients: second phase—March 2001
Evaluation of new deal 50 plus: Research with Individuals (Wave 1)—September 2001
Evaluation of new deal 50 plus: Research with Individuals (Wave 2)—September 2001
Evaluation of new deal 50 plus: qualitative evidence from clients: third phase—November 2001
Evaluation of new deal 50 plus: Summary Report.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants in the new deal have received (a) training and (b) subsidised employment in the construction industry in each year since 1997. [11600]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We estimate that since April 1998 about 12 per cent. of subsidised employment starts in the new deal for young people have been in the construction industry. All subsidised employment participants receive training. Construction training can also be accessed through the further education and training option.
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) male and (b) female members of each ethnic group have participated in the new deal from the Wycombe constituency since it was set up. [14868]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Figures are not available for the new deal for disabled people and the new deal for partners. Due to the small volumes involved, figures for the other new deals broken down by ethnic group are not published at constituency level because of the risk of identifying individuals.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets he has set in respect of the new deal for the over 50s in the next 12 months. [15836]
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Mr. Nicholas Brown: New deal 50 plus forms part of the A2 annual performance agreement (APA) target, which aims to get 410,000 people into work in 2001–02. The A2 target also includes the new deal for young people, new deal 25 plus, employment zones, jobseeker's allowance long-term unemployed and people with disabilities not counted under other APA targets.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants in the new deal for 50 plus received training grants in each of the last 12 months. [15843]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information is in the table.
| Month | Numbers claiming the new deal 50 plus training grant |
|---|---|
| October 2000 | 112 |
| November 2000 | 120 |
| December 2000 | 124 |
| January 2001 | 133 |
| February 2001 | 140 |
| March 2001 | 189 |
| April 2001 | 150 |
| May 2001 | 183 |
| June 2001 | 166 |
| July 2001 | 155 |
| August 2001 | 180 |
| September 2001 | 158 |
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the implementation of the new deal 50 plus in Coventry. [16270]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: New deal 50 plus has been operating nationally since April 2000. In the first 18 months of national operation over 51,000 people have been helped into work, including 350 people in Coventry.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 160W, which Government Departments have taken on staff through the new deal programme since its inception. [18058]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Mr. Shaw) on 28 November 2001, Official Report, column 901W.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 160W, how many participants in (a) the new deal for young people and (b) the new deal for the long-term unemployed have entered (i) employment and (ii) sustained employment lasting more than 13 weeks in Government Departments in each year since 1997, broken down by each Department. [18059]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
29 Nov 2001 : Column: 1145W
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