HC Deb 03 March 1998 vol 307 cc603-4W
Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how much Government money has been distributed to business as part of the Access to Work scheme since its inception; [32198]

  1. (2) what methods of advertising the Access to Work scheme are currently being used;[32199]
  2. (3) how much of the 1997–98 budget for the Access to Work scheme has been spent to date. [32201]

Mr. Alan Howarth

Responsibility 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.

Letter from Peter Collis to Mr. Mark Oaten, dated 27 February 1998:

The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked Leigh Lewis, the Chief Executive of the Employment Service, to write to you about how much money has been distributed to business as part of the Access to Work scheme since its inception, what methods of advertising the Access to Work scheme are currently being used, and how much of the 1997–98 budget for the Access to Work scheme has been spent to date. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mr. Lewis. I am replying in his absence.It may be helpful if I explain that information leaflets and other promotional material concerning the Access to Work scheme are freely available from Jobcentres, and Disability Employment Advisors visit employers to make them aware of the programme and other disability issues. The Employment Service also promotes Access to Work and other services through national and regional exhibitions and events aimed at employers and those seeking work, including disabled people.Our own promotion is reinforced by a wide range of other organisations, particularly in the voluntary sector, who represent disabled people. We collaborate with them to help publicise Access to Work and our support for disabled people and employers seeking to employ people with disabilities.Access to Work provides support to individual disabled people to help towards the extra costs in employment that result from their disability. Money is not always distributed directly to business, and often goes directly to the individual or to suppliers. Annual expenditure on Access to Work since its inception in June 1994 is as follows:

£ million
Year Expenditure
1994–95 15.7
1995–96 19.9
1996–97 12.6
1997–99 (to January 1998) 11.3

I hope this is helpful.