§ Mr. WoodwardTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which projects have been(a) wholly and (b) partly funded by his Department in St. Helens since 1997; when each project was announced; when it started or was expected to start; what funding was provided by (i) Government and (ii) a third party; what third party 1107W provided funding; what the target group of the project was; what the projected outcome of the project was; and what the name of the project was. [141274]
§ Mr. BrowneAction Teams for Jobs, which were announced in May 2000, aim to help jobless people in the most employment deprived areas of the country find and remain in work. The St. Helens Action Team for Jobs was started in October 2000; it is wholly funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, receiving an annual budget of £400,000.
St. Helens Action Team for Jobs is targeted at people in the following wards: Blackbrook; Sutton and Bold; Broad Oak; West Sutton; Parr and Hardshaw; and Queen's Park. The projected outcome was that the Action Team would find jobs for 280 people from the target group every year; so far the project has exceeded this target in each year. In the first nine months of 2003–04, the Action Team has helped 315 people into jobs.
The Department also spends money on many other regional and national projects which also benefit those living in St. Helens.