§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the progress of the experimental scheme to top up by £20 per week wages paid to employees who have been out of work for a year or more.
§ Mr. LangThe pilot job start scheme has been running since 6 January in nine areas of the country. It is thus still too early to make a detailed assessment of how the scheme 151W is working, although we are monitoring it closely, to decide whether to extend it more widely. At 14 February, 53 applications for the allowance had been accepted.