HC Deb 11 March 1999 vol 327 cc319-20W
Mr. Brady

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of the Employment Service targets under the New Deal had been achieved by 1 March 1999. [75667]

Mr. Andrew Smith

[holding answer 9 March 1999]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Graham Brady, dated 11 March 1999:

As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply direct to your question regarding what proportion of the Employment Service targets under the New Deal had been achieved by 1 March. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

The most recent information available relates to the position at the end of January. This shows that the Employment Service had by then achieved 55% of its target to place 100,000 New Deal for 18–24 year old participants into work during 1998–99. The target set for the Employment Service measures only those young people who secure employment as a direct result of a submission to a vacancy by the Employment Service or one of its partners.

I hope this is helpful.