§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on(a) Government incentives and programmes relating to women returners for the last five years, including funding and (b) EC initiatives for women returners which have been implemented or have received funding from the EC in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe Department supported the "Back to the Future" initiative which provided information and practical assistance to women returners in 1990. Training and enterprise councils deliver a variety of provision to meet the needs of women returners. Employment training and its successor programme, training for work, include a special eligibility route, part-time participation and support with the cost of childcare. Women returners have always been able to make use of job clubs and employment service programme development funds are available to meet the needs of specific groups.
The European social fund supports many projects providing vocational training for women returners and the Community initiative, "New Opportunities for Women", provides for transnational exchange of training opportunities for women.
Our "New Horizons for Women" initiative promotes a whole range of opportunities for women, whatever their circumstances and our new out-of-school child care grant will benefit women who wish to return to work after their children start school.