HC Deb 07 December 1999 vol 340 c490W
Mr. Alexander

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to extend(a) private and voluntary sector involvement in and (b) call centre facilities to all the single work-focused gateway pilot projects. [100873]

Angela Eagle

There are no plans to extend the private sector involvement or call centre facilities to the four 'basic model' pilots. The three pilot variants were chosen to test different methods of delivering the ONE service. We are monitoring the pilots carefully and have planned a full evaluation of the ONE service using qualitative as well as quantitative research.

Mr. Alexander

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the single work-focused gateway pilot project in Clyde Coast and Renfrew; [100874]

(2) how many people (a) have attended an interview with a personal adviser and (b) been successfully placed in the employment option as part of the single work-focused gateway pilot project in Clyde Coast and Renfrew. [100875]

Angela Eagle

The early signs are encouraging; clients are pleased with the ONE service and the active support that it offers. It is helping people to make links with the labour market who might hitherto never have considered that work was even a possibility. It is not, however, meaningful to assess the pilots further at such an early stage or to draw any conclusions from the figures while the pilots are settling down. We are investing considerable resources in a thorough evaluation of the ONE service and when robust and reliable data are available we will make them public.