§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what success the New Deal has had in reducing the number of unemployed young people. [85335]
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§ Mr. Andrew SmithAs the following table shows, since New Deal was introduced nationally in April 1998, unemployment amongst the eligible group has fallen by 41 per cent. compared with a fall of 2.5 per cent. for all unemployed people aged over 25.
The youth labour market is very dynamic, so some people would have left the claimant count without the help provided by New Deal. Nevertheless, initial evidence
Unemployed claimants (UK, nsa) Aged 18–24 Aged 25+ Up to 6 months over 6 months over 12 months All aged 18–24 All April 1998 226,000 119,900 50,000 345,900 1,028,000 April 1999 229,700 70,900 16,300 300,500 1,003,1001 Change †3,700 —49,000 —33,700 —45,400 —24,900 Percentage change †1.5 —41 —67 —13 —2.5
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will provide a breakdown by New Deal office of those who have refused to participate within the New Deal for 18 to 25-year-olds. [85130]
§ Mr. Andrew Smith[holding answer 25 May 1999]: If on receiving an invitation to take part in the New Deal a young unemployed person terminates their Jobseeker's Allowance claim, the Employment Service will often not know whether it is because they have got a job or because they are refusing to participate.
If sanctions for refusing to comply with New Deal requirements are taken as an indicator, the position in the last six months is as follows: over 7,000 young people had a benefit sanction imposed or were disallowed from claiming Jobseeker's Allowance as part of the New Deal. Of these, 530 were in Scotland, 800 in the Northern region, 1,200 in the North West, 1,120 in Yorkshire and the Humber, 340 in Wales, 910 in the West Midlands, 630 in the East Midlands and Eastern region, 350 in the South West and 1,310 in London and the South East. The figures for individual offices are not collected centrally.
§ Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment of the 34 per cent. of young people who had left the New Deal by the end of February 1999 for unknown reasons, how many are(a) no longer claiming jobseeker's allowance, (b) have retained their previous jobseeker's allowance entitlement and (c) have had their jobseeker's allowance entitlement reduced. [85638]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithBy the end of February 1999, 35,870 young people had left New Deal for an unknown destination. By the end of March 1999, 7,410 (21 per cent.) had made a subsequent claim for Jobseeker's Allowance at least three months after leaving the New Deal. If young people make a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance within three months of leaving, they re-enter the New Deal.