§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures he is taking to encourage small businesses to recruit long-term unemployed people from disadvantaged communities. [152561]
§ Ms JowellAt least 275,000 long-term unemployed young people have already found work through the New Deal, the majority in small and medium sized businesses. From April this year we will pilot a new project called Recruit, a simplified employment subsidy for small and medium sized businesses which employ people from the New Deal in disadvantaged areas. Less bureaucracy, more people into jobs—that is our commitment to small employers and the unemployed.