§ 22. Mr. SavidgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what impact the New Deal for 25 plus has had on levels of unemployment. [81291]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownSince 1997, long-term unemployment has been cut by around three quarters, to its lowest level for more than 25 years. New Deal 2514W plus has played an important part in this success, so far helping over 112,000 people into work (90 in my hon. Friend's constituency).
In April 2001 New Deal 25 plus was re-engineered, to provide a flexible, more individually-tailored service to help more people get jobs and remain in them. The enhanced programme is performing well, increasing the rate at which participants enter jobs.
We are building on this success and enhancing and extending New Deal 25 plus even further. Next April we will be piloting more intensive help during the Gateway period and extending eligibility to all jobseekers who have been unemployed for 18 months out of the previous three years.