HC Deb 05 February 1996 vol 271 cc68-9W
Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what evaluation studies were carried out by her Department into the success of the workstart pilots; and if she will place copies in the Library. [13408]

Mr. Forth

I plan to publish the evaluation report on the current pilots, located in the west midlands and the north-west, at the end of this year. The evaluation reports of the initial pilots were published on 12 December 1994 and copies are available from the Library.

Mr. Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will update the estimates given in the Department of Employment press release of 6 April 1995 on(a) the effect on public revenues of the workstart pilots and (b) the estimated numbers who will benefit from the scheme in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97, (iii) 1997–98 and (iv) 1998–99. [13410]

Mr. Forth

The two workstart pilots which began in April 1995 will continue to help long-term unemployed people into jobs until the end of March 1996. By then, it is estimated that those pilots will have helped some 800 people at an estimated final cost of £1.02 million.