New Deal (Young People) (Hansard, 22 April 1999)

§ Mr. Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how each of the nine measurements of performance for the new deal for young people is calculated. [81692]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
The majority of the nine Core Performance Measures will be calculated using data from the Employment Service, Research and Development Division's New Deal Evaluation Database. We have issued already some initial figures for the first measure showing the numbers of participants who joined the New Deal in April 1998 moving into subsidised and unsubsidised jobs. Methods of calculation for the remaining Core Performance Measures are still being refined.

§ Mr. Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the final month of the intensified gateway of the new deal for 18 to 24-year-olds will involve. [81694]
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§ Mr. Andrew Smith
Proposals for more intensive activity in the final month of the Gateway are currently being considered. Action is likely to include a proactive review at the end of the third month of the Gateway, coaching, and an increased emphasis on referrals to jobs and places on the Options before the end of the Gateway period.

§ Mr. Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will give details of the strategy being developed to improve the new deal for young people. [81691]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
Continuous improvement in the New Deal is a key priority, allowing us to build upon the excellent progress that has been made so far in helping young people into jobs. To further improve the New Deal, a wide ranging strategy has been developed. Key elements include the Core Performance Measures which will monitor performance at a local level and achieve improvement through partnership action plans and the Innovation Fund—worth £5 million to back local innovative projects with scope to improve performance. The Government have indicated that they will particularly welcome bids against the Innovation Fund to intensify and enhance the New Deal Gateway and to improve the performance of New Deal in meeting the needs of the most disadvantaged young people.

§ Mr. Maclean
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 18 March 1999,Official Report, column 757, on Employment Service staff, how many of the young people taken on by the Employment Service from the New Deal are (a) subsidised and (b) unsubsidised; at what cost; and how many are involved in New Deal support functions. [81641]

§ Mr. Andrew Smith
A total of 342 people have been recruited into the Employment Service under the Government's New Deal programme between April 1998 when the programme commenced and 31 March 1999. Of these recruits the employer subsidy has been claimed for 286, the remaining 56 are unsubsidised. The total cost of the subsidy claimed for the period to 31 march 1999 is £322,875.
The large majority of ES's recruits under New Deal are employed in local offices where they are employed in an administrative capacity. This is a multifunctioning role which will involve them in a range of Jobcentre activities. A proportion of their time may therefore be spent on administrative work supporting the ES's New Deal functions.