§ Mr. Baldryasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider making more funds available for the community programme specifically to assist with literacy and numeracy difficulties of participants.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonAssistance with literacy and numeracy difficulties is already available as part of the programme of preparation for work which is mounted under the training opportunities scheme. As far as training and the community programme are concerned, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Smith) on 3 July at column128.
§ Mr. Cabornasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what consideration his Department has given to raising the £60 maximum wage for the community programme in line with inflation in the current year;
(2) when he expects there will be an increase in the £60 maximum wage for the community programme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonWe keep under review the operation of the community programme in order to ensure its continuing success. Changes will be introduced when these are judged necessary.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many community programme places were being supported in the Workington travel-to-work area and the county of Cumbria during the last month for which statistics are available; and how many of those places were part-time and full-time places, respectively.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonOn 29 June 546 community programme places were being supported in the Workington travel-to-work area, and 1,345 in Cumbria. Of those in Workington 161 were full-time and 385 part-time, and of those in Cumbria 402 and 943 respectively.