§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of lone parents participating in the ONE programme have obtained employment; and if he will make a statement. [85987]
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 9 December 2002]: Under ONE, all people claiming working age benefits are now required to have a work-focused meeting with a personal adviser. All ONE pilot sites are due to become integrated Jobcentre Plus offices by spring 2003.
From June 1999 to October 2002, 78,028 lone parents participated in the ONE pilots. Of these, 3,282–4.2 per cent. have so far obtained employment.
We are using the information gained from the ONE pilots and applying the valuable lessons learnt in the development of our Jobcentre Plus service.