§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the number of participants for restart courses; what the scheme cost, what the planned expenditure was; and what number of those on the scheme achieved positive outcomes, and the breakdown of those outcomes in terms of numbers moving into(a) full-time education, (b) full-time employment, (c) part-time employment and (d) other outcomes for each year since 1991. [1764]
§ Mr. ForthResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. David Blunkett, dated 24 November 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about Restart Courses.
It may help if I explain that Restart Courses have been in existence since 1986. In April 1994 a new two week Restart Course programme was launched. The new course combines formal morning attendance with individual job search activities in the afternoon. New Restart Courses were developed on the success of the original shorter one week courses and are designed to boost confidence and job search activity. There is an emphasis 389W on making real applications for jobs and opportunities. They give people an opportunity to take a fresh look at their situation, become aware of the options open to them locally and plan positive steps back to work. During the course each person produces a plan of the steps they need to take to help them back to work.
Restart courses 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 April—October 1995 Number of participants 133,840 134,960 143,280 147,120 63,855 Cost of scheme (cash prices £ million)1 10.6 10.9 11.3 14.1 6.1 Planned expenditure (£ million)2 8.1 10.9 39.5 15.1 10.7 Outcomes into employment3 — — — — 2,588 Other outcomes4 — — — — 15,393 Total positive outcomes5 — — — 26,529 17,981 Notes:
1 Total expenditure for the year.
2 (i) 1993–94 includes planned expenditure for Jobplan.
(ii) The figures shown are those published in the Departmental Report just before the start of each operational year. These figures are subject to change during the year.
3 Information on total job entries was not collected until April 1995. Both full and part-time jobs are included in this figure. Separate figures are not routinely collected.
4 Other outcomes include starts on TFW, Jobclub, Community Action, JIG, Worktrials, JRW, jss, Career Development Loans, PDF, Further Education, Other e.g. Princes Trust voluntary work. Information on starts on other outcomes was not collected until April 1995. Separate information on participants entering full-time education is not routinely collected.
5 This information was not routinely collected until April 1994.