§ 27. Mr. RowlandsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the employment effect of the new deal in Wales to date. [85182]
§ Mr. HainI have been very pleased with the progress of the New Deal in Wales. The latest information shows that over 8,600 New Deal participants have obtained jobs through one or other of the New Deal initiatives.
Within this total, the New Deal for 18–24s has seen over 6,500 jobs secured by young people, including over 4,800 sustained jobs lasting at least 13 weeks.
The impact on youth unemployment has been there for all to see, with a massive 44 per cent. drop in the number of 18–24-year-olds claiming JSA for 6 months or more in Wales between April 1998 and April 1999.