§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed people will be taking part in the new workstart pilot schemes running in(a) the west midlands and (b) the north-west. [25805]
§ Miss WiddecombeThe new workstart pilots, which pay a subsidy to employers who recruit very long-term unemployed people, began last month in the west midlands conurbation, Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
No targets have been set for the number of people who will participate on the individual workstart pilots. However, 5,000 places are available for the pilots as a whole.
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps his Department is taking(a) to evaluate the workstart pilot scheme in the west midlands in which a subsidy for placing an unemployed person is negotiated with an employer on an individual basis and (b) to monitor the workstart pilot scheme in the north-west in which the use of a subsidy varies according to the duration of a client's unemployment; and when he expects to publish the results of his evaluations. [25809]
§ Miss WiddecombeInformation on the workstart pilots is being collected in three ways: routine management information; a database which will contain details of participants' characteristics and a survey of employers.
A final report will be available in late 1996.