§ 5. Fiona MactaggartIf she will visit Slough to examine local welfare-to-work initiatives. [19061]
§ The Minister for Welfare Reform (Mr. Frank Field)Yes, I hope to be in Slough on 19 January.
§ Fiona MactaggartI thank the Minister for his proposed visit to Slough. Does he remember the statements that he made earlier in the summer about the need to listen to what is going on locally as regards social security offices? Will he ensure that local initiatives that prefigure the welfare-to-work and new deal programmes can be built on properly? In Slough, we have such an initiative. It is a partnership between the local authority, local companies led by Mars and the voluntary organisations. He will learn much from that. Can he give me an assurance that such local initiatives will be incorporated in our welfare-to-work plan?
§ Mr. FieldThat is our objective. I must add how helpful I found the correspondence that my hon. Friend 7 sent me about the scheme operating in Slough. If other hon. Members have such innovatory schemes operating in their constituencies, I hope that they will follow her example and write to me.