§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to increase the proportion of women from ethnic minorities in the labour force. [33826]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownAs I explained in my reply to my hon. Member of 11 January 2002,Official Report, column 1045W, women from ethnic minorities can benefit from the range of new deals and other welfare to work initiatives that we have introduced. These initiatives, such as working families tax credit, the national minimum wage and the national child care strategy, help people overcome the barriers to employment and to make work pay. In April this year, we are also introducing a new service in five areas of the country to reach out to people from ethnic minorities who are at a disadvantage in the labour market. The outreach service will explore different ways jobless people from ethnic minority communities can be helped—from attracting people in to mainstream services like new deal to improving links to employers or providing specialist training where appropriate. We are investing £15 million in this new service.
Measures are also being introduced in the current Employment Bill that will help working mothers to remain within the work force through better balancing of their work and home commitments. This is good for parents, children and business.