§ 22. Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what targets for cost-effectiveness for the new deal for lone parents have been set with regard to the cost per job of the scheme. [53495]
§ Angela EagleThe New Deal for Lone Parents aims to help lone parents improve their employability and move from welfare to work. The cost-effectiveness of the New Deal for Lone Parents will be measured by various methods including the reduction in lone parents on Income Support over and above what would have happened in the absence of the programme, and through performance targets. Independent research already shows that the New Deal for Lone Parents is having a moderate but marked effect on the number of lone parents moving off Income Support.
A Cost Benefit Analysis of the New Deal for Lone Parents in the phase 1 prototypes will be available with the rest of the phase 1 evaluation results in Autumn 1999. It will look at the costs and benefits to the exchequer as well as performing an economy wide cost benefit analysis. The structure of the Cost Benefit Analysis for the phase 3 national roll out of the New Deal for Lone Parents is still in the planning stages. This will build on the Cost Benefit Analysis of phase 1, consider the resource implications of the programme generally, judge whether it is cost effective and explore its economic impact.