HC Deb 07 April 1998 vol 310 c226W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what are his plans for funding the activities of job clubs over the next three fiscal years; and how these have been affected by the New Deal programme. [37470]

Mr. Alan Howarth

[holding answer 2 April 1998): Responsibility 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 Leigh Lewis to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 7 April 1988:

The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your question on the funding of Jobclubs over the next three fiscal years and how this has been affected by New Deal. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Employment Service.Our planned expenditure on Jobclubs will be £24 million in each of the next three fiscal years.In some areas we have also been looking at the advantages of combining some of our programmes, such as Jobclub and Jobplan, and delivering them through Programme Centres, which provide a one stop shop with greater scope for the more efficient use of resources and individualised packages of help for people.The funding allocated to Jobclubs and Programme Centres reflects the likely demand among those people aged 25 and over who have been unemployed for six months or more. This takes account of the fact that many young people who might previously have depended on this provision will now be able to take advantage instead of the much more extensive extra help provided by New Deal.My District Managers have recently undertaken a consultation exercise with local New Deal partners, with regard to our mainstream programmes, to determine which types of provision will be most effective to meet the needs of each locality. Where local partnerships decide that Jobclub or Programme Centre places should form part of the New Deal Gateway, they can purchase additional places on these programmes using New Deal funding.I hope this is helpful.