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21 Apr 2009 : Column 662W—continued
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of restoring the link between the basic state pension and earnings in each financial year between 2010-11 and 2014-15. [269470]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 April 2009, Official Report, column 134W.
Train to Gain Programme
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what budget headings the £350 million spending on Train to Gain announced in the pre-Budget Report beyond spending already announced will be spent; and if he will make a statement. [247620]
Mr. Simon [holding answer 14 January 2009]: I have been asked to reply.
Train to Gain is the Government's flagship service to employers to improve the skills for their employees and the productivity of their business.
Small and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) will be top priority for Train to Gain funds including the £350 million growth over the next two years which was announced in the re-budget Report. The £350 million is within the overall Train to Gain delivery' budget heading.
The 2009-10 grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council sets out the budget for Train to Gain. Train to Gain is a growing programme and we plan to invest £925 million through Train to Gain in 2009-10 and this will increase to over £1 billion per year by 2010-11.
Train to Gain is a demand-led service and as such it is not possible to predict the budget spend for 2009-10 for SMEs.
Vocational Training: Lone Parents
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2009, Official Report, column 1210W, on vocational training: lone parents, what steps his Department took in response to the results of the research into non-participation. [268859]
Kitty Ussher: The Department set up a project team to respond to the policy and operational issues raised by the report findings. A number of issues were identified, in particular training, childcare and raising the profile of New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP) and, as a result, the following steps have been taken to address those issues identified:
Refresher training and clear desk aids have been provided in the use of the Labour Market System. In addition, clearer guidance concerning the definition of participation in NDLP has been published;
A range of strategies have been developed to help change the attitudes of parents and advisers to focus on the positive outcomes children gain from formal childcare;
Key messages have been provided to Jobcentre Plus staff to emphasise the gains to be made by a parent moving into work and the impact on child poverty;
A lone parent caseload strategy was developed to raise the awareness and understanding of NDLP and encourage advisers to explicitly promote its benefits and invite a greater number of lone parents to participate in the NDLP programme; and
Jobcentre Plus delivered a series of workshops to lone parent advisers which focused on the key interviewing and influencing techniques that advisers need to assist lone parents engage with NDLP.
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