§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have stopped claiming(a) jobseeker' s allowance and (b) national insurance credits as a result of moving onto a New Deal option since April 1998. [109271]
§ Ms JowellSince April 1998, all 138,320 young people who started one of the four options under the New Deal for young people ceased claiming Jobseeker's allowance. 107,460 of these continue to claim national insurance credits but we expect that the 30,680 young people who started a waged option will have ceased to claim national insurance credits.
§ Mr. Geraint DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if it is his policy to encourage schools and local education authorities to employ people under the New Deal. [109983]
§ Ms JowellI continue to encourage all employers, especially those in the public sector, to offer more employment opportunities to people in the New Deal. Organisations in the public sector, including schools and local education authorities, have close links with their700W local communities and are in a strong position to offer leadership in order to tackle unemployment and social exclusion.