§ Mr. Ronnie CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that have been created in Blyth Valley as a result of the New Deal. [106825]
§ Ms JowellNew Deal is not a job creation scheme. It is designed to help unemployed people improve their skills and compete effectively for vacancies. The latest figures to the end of October 1999 show that this policy is working; in the Blyth Valley constituency, 329 people have found employment through the New Deal (275 young people under the New Deal for young people and 54 people through the New Deal for long term unemployed adults).
§ Mr. Ronnie CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the destination of those who have left the New Deal for those aged 18 to 24 years (a) at the time at which they left the New Deal, (b) 13 weeks after leaving the New Deal and (c) 26 weeks after leaving the New Deal, for the parliamentary constituency of Blyth Valley. [106826]
§ Ms JowellThe table summarises the immediate destinations of the 392 young people who have left the New Deal in Blyth Valley. In addition to those recorded as leaving for unsubsidised employment, many of those recorded as leaving for unknown destinations will have found work but not told the Employment Service. In fact, a recent survey found that of those leaving for unknown destinations from the Gateway stage of New Deal, 57 per cent. entered paid employment.
Young people who return to claim Jobseeker's Allowance within 13 weeks of leaving New Deal are not regarded as having left the New Deal. By definition, the leavers in the table below have not returned to Jobseeker's Allowance within 13 weeks.
In Blyth Valley, evaluation shows that 80 per cent. of young people had not returned to claim Jobseeker's Allowance within 26 weeks.
Immediate destination on leaving New Deal cumulative to end October 1999 Blyth Valley Sustained unsubsidised jobs 180 Other benefits 85 Other known destinations 46 Unknown destinations 81