§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his plans to modify age restrictions under the New Deal, indicating the date from which all changes will take effect and the categories of restrictions which will remain after limiting the payment of £10 per person per week above benefit levels for unemployed people taking up job opportunities on such schemes. [103299]
§ Ms JowellFrom April 2001, we intend to introduce a substantially strengthened New Deal for long-term unemployed people aged 25 and over, which will provide high quality, job-focused opportunities, including job search help, training and work experience. The detail of these arrangements will be decided in light of the lessons learned from the current New Deal 25 plus pilots. We are also reviewing the support available in England under work-based learning for adults to ensure that we meet the aim set out in the White Paper, "Learning to Succeed", that there should be greater coherence with other support for unemployed people, once responsibility has transferred to the Employment Service in April 2001. A similar review is being undertaken in Wales.