§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will review the regulations regarding entry to the community programme so that unemployed persons not in receipt of benefit may be considered for placements.
§ Mr. NichollsWe have no plans to change the present arrangements. From 5 September all current programmes for unemployed adults, including the community programme, will be replaced by the new adult programme, "Employment Training". Benefit receipt will not be an eligibility condition for employment training.
§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he proposes to take to ensure that recreational opportunities for the unwaged section of the community will not be adversely affected by the discontinuation of the community programme in September in favour of the new adult training scheme.
§ Mr. NichollsThe community programme will be replaced from 5 September by "Employment Training". Project-based training will be an important part of the new programme with some 194,000 project-based opportunities in the first year, broadly the present level of community programme provision. I hope that most current community programme projects will move forward into employment training.