§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what has been the change in the funding of the action for community employment scheme in the past 12 months; what further changes are planned in the near-future; and if he will make a statement; [14907]
(2) what recent representations he has received concerning the role of the voluntary sector in reducing unemployment; and if he will make a statement; [14908]
(3) if he has received the report of the review of long-term unemployment conducted by the Training and Employment Agency; and if he will make a statement. [14909]
§ Mr. AncramResponsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive Mr. Ian Walters. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Ian Walters to Dr. Norman Godman, dated 12 February 1997:
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, to reply to your questions about the Action for Community Employment (ACE) scheme, the role of the voluntary sector and long-term unemployment.14907
Resources allocated to ACE have been reduced in each of the last two public expenditure rounds. In the 1995–96 financial year £49.6 million was spent providing, on average, 9,189 ACE places. This year £39.8 million has been allocated to provide, on average, 7,200 places. In 1997–98 and the following two years ACE has253Wbeen allocated £28.5 million which will support around 5,200 places. There are no plans to make further changes to ACE. Any such plans will only emerge following extensive consultation on the Training and Employment Agency's review of long-term unemployment which will be published shortly.14908
The Agency has frequent discussions with the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) which is the body most representative of voluntary sector organisations working with the unemployed. NICVA has provided very constructive advice, along with other organisations in the voluntary sector, on the preparation of the Agency's consultation document on long-term unemployment.The consultation document is intended to stimulate an informed and forward looking debate on the types of approaches and measures which might most effectively help the long-term unemployed to reintegrate into the active labour market. It will examine the roles which different sectors, including the voluntary sector, might play within the overall strategy.14909
Baroness Denton has received a copy of the draft consultation document which the Agency expects to complete and publish shortly.I hope you find this reply helpful.