§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many jobseekers have been provided with mobile phones to help them find work. [160202]
§ Ms Jowell[holding answer 3 May 2001]: Employment Zones aim to provide new and innovative solutions to help people back into work in 15 areas of persistently high unemployment. 1126 mobile phones have been issued to participants; 3 per cent. of the 35,000 total clients. Action Teams for Jobs are targeting the barriers preventing jobless people getting and keeping work in 40 areas in Great Britain. 63 of 17257 participants (0.35 per cent.) in Action Teams have had mobile phones issued where there was a clear jobsearch benefit to the individual.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many jobseekers have been given financial help to(a) buy a car (b) buy a motorcycle and (c) take driving lessons, by the employment hit squads announced in June 2000. [160221]
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§ Ms Jowell[holding answer 3 May 2001]: The 40 Action Teams for Jobs in deprived areas are targeting the barriers preventing jobless people getting and keeping work. Over 5,000 people have been helped into work so far. Financial assistance has been provided to buy 28 vehicles and 382 driving lessons, mainly in rural areas where vacancies are a distance away from people's homes or suitable transport is required for self-employment purposes or as an incentive to encourage people to take up jobs which would normally not be accessible to them.