§ 18. Mrs. OrganTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use made of the funds raised by the Windfall Tax; and what further plans he has for their use. [91111]
§ Mrs. RocheThe Windfall Tax has enabled the Government to embark on the New Deal—the biggest ever programme to get unemployed and economically inactive people into work. The Windfall Tax has also enabled the Government to inject much-needed capital632W into over 10,000 schools across the country, enhancing our drive to raise pupil standards so that children begin to acquire the skills they will need to succeed later in life.
Early findings on the New Deal for Young People are largely positive, but we will need to wait for further evaluation in the Autumn to provide more accurate figures. The latest figures for young people show that 105,000 young people have secured jobs through the New Deal and a further 89,000 are gaining valuable training experience through one of the other options.
The Government have constantly extended and developed programmes under the New Deal since taking office. Its purpose is to give people new hope and new chances, and a route out of poverty and benefit dependency. This principle will guide future policy development, as resources allow.
§ Mr. David TaylorTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further plans he has for the use of the proceeds of the windfall tax. [91105]
§ Mr. Gordon BrownThe Windfall Tax, which raised £5.2 billion, has enabled the Government to embark upon the New Deal—the biggest ever programme to get the unemployed into work. Over 284,000 have now entered the New Deal on the young persons scheme, and there are nearly 100,000 of the long-term unemployed. The Windfall Tax has also enabled the Government to put much-needed capital investment into over 10,000 schools. We will launch the New Deal for the over-50s in the autumn. Therefore, we are continuing to expand the New Deal over the next few months.