HC Deb 22 January 2003 vol 398 c384W
Jon Cruddas

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the extra resources required to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway area; what discussions he has had with other Government Departments in relation to supporting the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway; and what resources he has allocated to support the growth and development of new communities in the Thames Gateway. [90426]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

We are supporting deprived areas in the Thames Gateway through a variety of initiatives designed to help people furthest from the labour market find and keep jobs. These include the new deal for communities, action teams for jobs, employment zones, and the minority ethnic outreach service. The costs of this work are met from the overall budgets for these programmes.

We are working closely with partners in these Thames Gateway areas to ensure that the problems faced by people in the poorest communities are tackled in an intensive and co-ordinated way.