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Education and Training
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what measures are in place to enable young people between the ages of 19 and 25 years who are living independently and claiming jobseeker's allowance to participate in further education and training; [33440]
(2) what measures are in place to ensure that young people participating in the new deal are encouraged to take part in education and training, with particular reference to A-level courses. [33442]
Margaret Hodge: Young people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) who are interested in further education and training can receive advice and guidance from Jobcentre Plus Advisers on education and training opportunities, including details of educational establishments that provide A Level courses. A condition of claiming JSA is that recipients continue to make themselves available for and actively seek work, so any education or training undertaken must comply with conditions for continuing to receive JSA.
Young people aged 18–24 who have been claiming JSA for six months are required to participate in the mandatory new deal for young people (NDYP) programme. The primary aim of NDYP is to help move people into sustainable work as quickly as possible, however, participants on the programme may access education and training opportunities through the full-time education and training (FTET) option.
FTET courses assist new deal participants in achieving vocational qualifications at or equivalent to S/NVQ level 2. They are not designed to compete with qualification courses run by further education establishments, for example GCSE or A level courses. FTET provision is delivered across a wide range of employment sectors for varying lengths of time and is tailored to the needs of the individual and local employers. People aged 25 and over who have been claiming JSA for 18 out of the last 21 months are required to join the mandatory new deal 25 plus (ND25 plus) programme. The employment and training option (ETO) within new deal 25 plus provides participants with the opportunity to acquire the formal qualifications, generally up to and including S/NVQ Level 3, that may be necessary for them to their particular jobs or occupational sectors. Personal advisers can approve early entry to both NDYP and ND25 plus for some people if this is appropriate to their needs.
Some eligible young people may also participate on other new deal programmes. People on new deal for lone parents (NDLP), which is a voluntary programme, have access to a range of new deal training opportunities, including the NDYP FTET option, or may participate in other approved training. They can have access to this help from the first day of joining the programme. Normally NDLP funding can only be used for education and training courses up to NVQ/SNVQ Level 2 or equivalent. However, where it is clear that a lone parent can achieve an NVQ/SNVQ Level 3 in a year (for example where they have the appropriate qualification levels in the subject) funding could be considered. In all cases Advisers must consider whether the training will lead to sustainable employment.
New deal for disabled people (NDDP), which is also a voluntary programme, is designed to support people in receipt of disability or health-related benefits in finding and sustaining paid employment. Although NDDP Job
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Brokers work closely with providers of training, they usually focus on vocational training which would not normally incorporate further education qualifications such as A-level courses.
Finally, young people may also participate on the voluntary new deal for partners programme which offers partners of people claiming certain benefits support in tackling barriers to work. Partners are eligible to join the programme from the first day of the claim and can be referred to the FTET option of NDYP or the ETO Option of ND25 plus, or other suitable training which will improve their job readiness.
People aged 18–24 are also eligible for LSC modern apprenticeship training where the young person is employed, paid a wage and given the training needed to gain a qualification.
Industrial Injuries Scheme
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of industrial injuries benefit there have been in each of the last 10 years; and how much the benefit has cost in (a) cash and (b) real terms over the same period. [40471]
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Margaret Hodge: The available information is in the tables.
Notes:
1. Number of assessments at the end of each statistical year (end of March).
2. A person may be in receipt of more than one assessment (up to the end of 2001–02).
3. Figures from 1995–96 to 2001–02 are based on a 10 per cent. sample, and are in thousands.
4. Figures from 2002–03 are from the Industrial Injuries Computer System, and present a 100 per cent. sample of recipients (not assessments).
Notes:
1. Figures are given in millions.
2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
3. Expenditure for 2004–05 reflects the latest benefit-by-benefit estimate of outturn, and not the amounts voted by Parliament.
Jobcentres (Tower Hamlets)
Mr. Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) for what reasons his Department has changed the provisions and incentives that are available from the publicly-run job centres in the London borough of Tower Hamlets; [36364]
(2) what changes to staffing at the local jobcentres in the London borough of Tower Hamlets will be made as a result of contracting out work to private contractors. [36365]
Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10 January 2006:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking for what reasons his department has reduced the provisions and incentives that are available from the publicly-run jobcentres in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets; and what changes to staffing at the local jobcentres in the London borough of Tower Hamlets will be made as a result of contracting out work to private
- contractors. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
As part of a national modernisation programme we are improving services offered to the residents of Tower Hamlets. The City Jobcentre Plus Office opened on 8 November to provide the full range of services to residents and the Poplar Jobcentre Plus office will open in the New Year. In addition the Employment Zones, established in the borough in April 2000, provides specialist provision for unemployed adults aged 25 and over and the Working Neighbourhood pilot is an additional service in recognition of the fact that some residents of Tower Hamlets need extra help to gain employment.
There has been no reduction in staffing levels in Tower Hamlets' Jobcentre Plus offices as a result of the introduction of the Employment Zones or the Working Neighbourhood pilot.
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