§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to allow the Employment Service to bid for new contracts as part of the Employment Zone initiative; and if he will make a statement. [111022]
§ Ms Jowell[holding answer 21 February 2000]: In our bidding guidance for both rounds of the competition to run Employment Zones, we invited bids from the private, public and voluntary sectors. The Employment Service chose to bid under the name of 'Working Links' in partnership with two leading private sector companies. They proceeded to win eight out of fifteen Zones, subject to post-tender negotiations.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the successful bidders for Employment Zone contracts for the long-term unemployed. [111007]
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§ Ms JowellSubject to negotiation, contracts will be awarded to: Working Links (a consortium of Ernst and Young, Manpower plc and the Employment Service) in Heads of the Valleys and Caerphilly, Brent, Brighton and Hove, Glasgow, Plymouth, Southwark, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Tower Hamlets; Reed and Partners in Haringey, Liverpool and Sefton, Newham and Doncaster; Pertemps in Birmingham; the North West Wales Partnership in North West Wales and the Nottingham Employment Zone Partnership in Nottingham.