HC Deb 30 November 2001 vol 375 cc1167-8W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what resources are being targeted to help people aged(a) 50 and over and (b) under 25 years who are not working, to set up their own businesses. [11652]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

The new deal 50 plus, new deal for disabled people, new deal 25 plus, work based learning for adults and training for work, all provide a range of help for people over 50 who wish to set up in business. Support for the under 25s who wish to establish their own business is provided by two major initiatives: the self-employment route of new deal for young people and the youth enterprise initiative.

Working age income support (IS) recipients receiving income support mortgage interest payments by Government office region, as at February 1997 and February 2001
February 1997 February 2001
English region Number of IS cases (thousand) Percentage of working age population Number of IS cases (thousand) Percentage of working age population
All England 208.3 0.7 149.0 0.5
North East 10.3 0.7 8.1 0.5
North West 36.2 0.9 27.0 0.6
Yorkshire and Humberside 20.8 0.7 16.9 0.5
East Midlands 15.3 0.6 11.6 0.4
West Midlands 23.2 0.7 18.0 0.6
East 21.3 0.7 14.4 0.4
London 32.0 0.7 22.4 0.5
South East 29.5 0.6 18.1 0.4
South West 19.6 0.7 12.5 0.4

Notes:

1. North West includes Merseyside Government office region, previously shown separately

2. Working age income support recipients are defined as single people or family units receiving income support where the main recipient is of working age (male 16–64, female 16–59). This will include cases where the main recipient's partner is of state pension age

3. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error

4. Case load figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred; percentages are given to one decimal place

Sources:

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, February 1997 and February 2001

Office for National Statistics mid-term estimates of the population for 1997 and 2000

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what alternative to individual learning accounts is offered to new deal 50 plus participants reaching the end of their 52 weeks on employment credit and in receipt of a training grant. [15845]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

We are currently in the process of making alternative arrangements following the suspension of ILAs. In the meantime, people can still access the £150 new deal 50 plus contribution by contacting their local Jobcentre.

Mr. Swire

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in East Devon are on the new deal programme, broken down by each category of the new deal. [17266]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

The information is in the table.

Programme Number of people on the programme1
New deal for young people 25
New deal 25 plus 22
New deal for lone parents 158
New deal 50 plus2 346
1 End August 2001
2 Employment credit claims
3 At end of September 2001

Source:

New Deal Evaluation Database

Constituency level information is not available for the new deals for disabled people and partners.