HC Deb 26 March 1998 vol 309 c262W
37. Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the objectives of the New Deal. [34932]

Mr. Andrew Smith

The overall objectives of the New Deal, which have been drawn up with the benefit of advice from the New Deal Task Force, are as follows: to help into jobs young and long term unemployed people and lone parents and disabled people who wish to work and to improve their prospect of staying in and progressing in employment, and to increase the long term employability of young and long term unemployed people, and of lone parents and disabled people who wish to work.

The New Deal will be evaluated fully. We intend to build a composite picture of how the New Deal is working, using a wide range of methodologies that together will help assess how far the objectives have been met.