§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what assessment his Department has made of the improvements in employability of those passing through the New Deal programme; [75421]
(2) allowing for displacement and substitution, what estimate his Department has made of the number of new jobs which have been created by the New Deal; [75422]
(3) what percentage of those going through all stages of the New Deal for the young unemployed to date were without permanent employment at the end of the programme.[75423]
§ Mr. Andrew Smith[holding answer 8 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 questions about the New Deal initiative for young people aged between 18 and 24. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
The very early evidence from the New Deal suggests that it is having a significant impact on participants' employability. Comparing the pathfinder areas, where the New Deal commenced 316W in January 1998, to the rest of the country, where it commenced in April 1998, the pathfinder areas showed a six percentage point higher flow of young people into jobs between January and April 1998.
In the longer term, as part of the overall evaluation of New Deal, we aim through a national survey of New Deal participants to make an assessment of employability in terms, for example, of improvements in basic skills and qualifications, increased work experience, increased levels of job search activity, increased levels of motivation and confidence about finding work and increased self-esteem. Findings from the first stage of the survey are expected to be available around September 1999; findings from the second stage around September 2000.
Turning to the number of jobs created by the New Deal, I should say that the New Deal was not planned as a job creation initiative. Its aim is to tackle long term unemployment among young people by improving their employability and helping them find jobs.
Finally, in respect of the percentage of young people without permanent employment at the end of their participation in New Deal, I should explain that the New Deal has a number of stages including Gateway, the options and a follow through period of support and guidance. Because New Deal only started nationally in April 1998 it is too early to evaluate what proportion of participants may not secure permanent employment at the end of their time on the programme. It may be helpful, however, to say that by December 1998 of the 214,300 young people who had started New Deal only 4,400 had started on the follow through period.
I hope this is helpful.
§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the New Deal for the young unemployed in Hendon.[75782]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithResponsibility 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. Andrew Dismore, 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 to your question about the progress of the New Deal for young unemployed people in Hendon. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
I regret that separate figures are not generally available for individual towns, or for constituencies. Government Statistical Service figures are produced for Employment Service Unit of Delivery areas. Hendon falls within the Edgware and Leaside Unit of Delivery.
The latest Government Statistical Service figures to the end of December 1998, and including Management Information to the end of January 1999, show that 3,329 young people have started on New Deal for 18–24 year olds in the Edgware and Leaside Unit of Delivery. Of these, 509 have secured unsubsidised employment; 100 have started subsidised employment through the New Deal Employment option; and 564 have started on either the Full-Time Education and Training, or one of the work experience options. Of the remainder, the majority are still in the initial Gateway phase of the New Deal. There will be other young people who have left the New Deal for jobs, and stopped receiving the Jobseeker's Allowance, without telling the Employment Service their reasons for leaving.
I hope this is helpful.