§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people were found jobs through the New Deal for Disabled People in(a) 2001 and (b) 2002 in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the west midlands; how many of these people are still in employment; and what plans he has to review the effectiveness of the service. [86866]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownNew Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) is the first national programme designed specifically to help people with health conditions and disabilities move into and keep jobs. A comprehensive programme of evaluation is in place to assess its effectiveness.
The available information is in the table.
People helped into work through NDDP since the national extension of the programme began Period People finding work July 2001–March 2002 2,304 April 2002–September 2002 3,795 Total 6,099 Notes:
1. Information is not available broken down by government office region.
2. The information in the table is for Great Britain. The Northern Ireland Office is responsible for employment programmes within Northern Ireland.
It is not possible to give figures for the number of people who have found work through NDDP who are still in employment. However, of all NDDP clients who have found work to date, 1,400 have achieved sustained employment—defined as remaining in paid work for 26 weeks out of a 39 week period.