HC Deb 04 December 1997 vol 302 cc311-2W
Mr. Ivan Henderson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what obligations and responsibilities a private sector organisation given the lead role in a New Deal district, would have towards the local partners, particularly local authorities, involved in delivering the service within their local area. [18354]

Mr. Andrew Smith

We have invited bids from the private sector, under contract to the Employment service (ES) to lead the delivery of new deal in a total of ten

Pupil teacher ratios in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools by local education authority area in England: 1974, 1979, 1991 and 1997
Position as at January
1974 1979 1991 1997
Nursery Primary Secondary Nursery Primary Secondary Nursery Primary Secondary Nursery Primary Secondary
Inner London1 n/av n/av n/av n/av 18.7 14.9 n/ap n/ap n/ap n/ap n/ap n/ap
City of London n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/ap 19.4 n/ap n/ap 214.0 n/ap
Camden n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 15.7 19.0 15.4 20.0 20.0 214.3
Greenwich n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 18.0 19.6 15.9 26.4 21.1 16.0
Hackney n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 19.4 18.6 14.6 212.3 19.5 14.9
Hammersmith n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 16.7 18.7 14.5 18.1 20.5 17.4
Islington n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 14.5 18.5 17.0 16.3 21.1 215.7
Kensington and Chelsea n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 13.7 17.4 12.5 14.2 17.7 12.9
Lambeth n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 16.6 18.8 15.1 213.6 19.8 215.0
Lewisham n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 16.8 19.9 15.6 21.2 20.6 215.2
Southwark n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 16.3 19.9 16.3 16.4 21.8 215.8
Tower Hamlets n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 16.3 17.4 14.1 16.4 20.7 15.9
Wandsworth n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 17.4 17.7 14.4 18.1 20.5 15.5
Westminster n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av n/av 12.4 17.1 14.3 211.7 18.6 14.9
Barking n/av n/av n/av n/av 22.3 15.5 n/ap 22.3 15.8 n/ap 22.7 215.7
Barnet n/av n/av n/av n/av 21.5 15.5 17.4 21.0 15.1 19.2 321.3 2, 314.8
Bexley n/av n/av n/av n/av 25.1 17.2 20.4 23.3 16.1 n/ap 324.8 17.4
Brent n/av n/av n/av n/av 18.7 13.9 13.7 20.9 14.5 213.6 21.9 15.2
Bromley n/av n/av n/av n/av 24.5 16.7 n/ap 23.5 16.1 0.0 324.4 216.3
Croydon n/av n/av n/av n/av 23.0 16.3 2.3 21.3 15.7 217.1 23.0 216.2
Ealing n/av n/av n/av n/av 20.4 15.6 15.1 20.4 14.6 2 12.3 22.5 16.4
Enfield n/av n/av n/av n/av 24.0 16.8 n/ap 20.6 15.7 0.0 323.2 315.9
Haringey n/av n/av n/av n/av 20.9 16.0 14.8 21.8 14.1 213.0 221.1 314.6
Harrow n/av n/av n/av n/av 22.1 16.1 n/ap 21.7 15.3 0.0 2. 320.7 315.5
Havering n/av n/av n/av n/av 23.6 17.0 n/ap 22.6 15.5 0.0 23.8 316.3
Hillingdon n/av n/av n/av n/av 23.0 16.5 20.2 22.5 15.5 219.8 322.6 316.2
Hounslow n/av n/av n/av n/av 21.9 15.9 n/ap 20.9 15.5 n/ap 321.5 15.8
Kingston upon Thames n/av n/av n/av n/av 22.1 16.1 16.6 22.3 14.6 214.8 23.9 16.6
Merton n/av n/av n/av n/av 22.2 17.6 n/ap 18.4 14.4 n/ap 321.7 317.2

locations. The bidding process will make clear that private sector organisations should consider carefully the particular needs within each locality and the key local partners, including local authorities, they need to work with to make new deal a success. The successful private sector lead organisation will need to continue to work closely with a range of local public and private sector bodies effectively to delivery new deal opportunities to clients.

Detailed arrangements for delivery will be a matter for discussion between the lead organisation and its partners. However, it is expected that in most cases these will take the form of a written contract, the terms and conditions of which will be binding on all parties.

Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assistance New Deal participants aged over 25 years and unemployed for more than two years will receive during the period before their six-month placement begins. [18710]

Mr. Andrew Smith

We are currently considering the detailed design of the new deal for people aged 25 years or over and unemployed for two years or more. We will make an announcement shortly.