§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the reason for the numbers of ethnic minority interviewees on the New deal for lone parents who are subsequently found to be ineligible for the caseload. [109508]
§ Angela EagleAll lone parents on income support are eligible to join the New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP). The rate at which lone parents from ethnic minorities agree to participate in NDLP following an initial interview is in line with the equivalent figure for all lone parents (currently 90 per cent. and 89 per cent. respectively).
The latest results show that 6.7 per cent. of all leavers from the NDLP caseload left because they became ineligible for the programme. The equivalent figure for ethnic minority lone parents is 5.1 per cent.
Notes:
1. Ethnic group is recorded for only 62 per cent. of clients at present.
2. Lone parents on the NDLP caseload may become ineligible owing to a change in circumstance, for example lone parents who re-partner.