§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where within Essex he is establishing Pathway Centres to assist persons with health problems and disabilities to find work; what the purpose was of the centres; and what assessment he has made of their likely benefits. [119174]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithPeople moving on to incapacity benefits should no longer be regarded as people at the end of their working lives, but people with working futures. The Green Paper "Pathways to Work" (CM 5690) set out a strategy for enabling people with health problems and disabilities to move into work, and so become and remain independent. The Government's consultation response and action plan (CM 5830), published on 10 June 2003, gives details of the proposals we are taking forward.
The new approach will be introduced in three pilot areas from October 2003, with a further tranche starting from April 2004. On 5 June 2003, I announced that the second tranche of pilot areas would be based in the following Jobcentre Plus districts: Gateshead and South Tyneside, Somerset, Essex and East Lancashire. The Jobcentre Plus pathfinder offices participating in the Essex pilot are: Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Canvey Island, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester. Grays, Harlow, Harwich, Loughton, Rayleigh, Southend, Stansted Airport, Tilbury and Witham.
A comprehensive evaluation programme of the pilots will be in place to assess the effectiveness of the proposals in supporting a return to work. As well as looking at the overall impact of the package of provision, the evaluation will assess what works best for whom, and in what circumstances, through quantitative surveys and qualitative studies of people claiming incapacity benefits, Jobcentre Plus staff and other key stakeholders.