HC Deb 10 May 2002 vol 385 cc364-5W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how Access to Work has been promoted(a) in the UK and (b) in Edinburgh East and Borders. [53043]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: Access to Work was promoted through the Employment Service. Since the start of April responsibility for promoting Access to Work passed to Jobcentre Plus. Jobcentre Plus promotes awareness of the whole range of its services, including support available to disabled people and their employers, through media such as leaflets, audio tapes, videos and the Jobcentre Plus website.

In Scotland, the Access to Work Business Centre Manager and Access to Work Advisers take part in events with General Practitioners and at job fairs and give presentations to employers and interested organisations.

Employment assistance schemes in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the(a) budget, (b) actual and (c) estimated outturn has been of the Access to Work scheme (i) in the UK and (ii) in the Edinburgh East and Borders district, in each year since creation.[53041]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: The information available is in the table.

Budget Actual Spend
Year England, Scotland and Wales Edinburgh East and Borders1 England, Scotland and Wales Edinburgh East and Borders
2000–01 £25.7m Not available £32.4m £1.2m
1999–00 £24.3m Not available £24.4m £620,847
1998–99 £19.0m Not available £19.5m £379,975
1997–98 £19.0m Not available £14.6m £320,123
1996–97 £19.0m Not available £12.5m Not available2
1995–96 £13.4m Not available £19.9m Not available2
1994–95 £14.6m Not available £15.7m Not available2

Source:

DWP Access to Work Management Information

1Before 2001, Access to Work was delivered through a network of Disability Service Teams in Scotland. Because of several boundary changes over the course of the last few years, these figures have not been collected separately. The information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

2Figures on actual spend for Edinburgh East and Borders can only be provided as far back as the 1997£98 financial year.

3Employment assistance schemes in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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