§ Sir Ralph HowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will estimate the savings on benefits incurred due to persons leaving the unemployment register after interviews to persons obtaining employment after participating in North Norfolk Action stating the number in each case;
(2) what was the overall expenditure on North Norfolk Action up to 31 October; and how much expenditure has been incurred on (a) provider fees, (b) allowances, (c) fares to work, (d) publicity, (e) evaluation and (f) employment service running costs.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythResponsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
353WLetter from M. E. G. Fogden to Sir Ralph Howell, dated 29 November 1993:
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions about overall expenditure on North Norfolk Action up to 31 October; how much expenditure has been incurred on: provider fees; allowances; fares to work; publicity; evaluation; Employment Service running costs; and an estimate of the savings on benefits incurred due to persons leaving the unemployment register after interviews to persons obtaining employment after participating in North Norfolk Action stating the number in each case. These are matters which fall within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.The total expenditure on North Norfolk Action up to 31 October 1993 is £205,182, incurred on:
£ (a) Provider fees 87,349 (b) Allowances 85,178 (c) Fares to work 2,455 (d) Publicity 1,500 (e) Evaluation by external contractors 1— (f) Running costs 28,700 1 Work to start in 1994. The numbers of those starting work following participation on the North Norfolk Action programme is 16. The numbers of clients leaving the register to go into work following Supportive Caseload interviews is 120.An evaluation exercise is being considered by my Research and Evaluation Branch to estimate the register effect of supportive caseload. A final report will be available early in 1994. Until we have the evaluation it is not possible to estimate savings on benefit as the effect of "deadweight" and "substitution" cannot be taken into account. Further evaluation will involve measuring the improvements in clients' jobsearch, attitude to work and motivation due to participation in North Norfolk Action. This will be done by external providers next year.I hope this is helpful.As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.