§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what back-to-work support is available for people aged over 50; and how many people over 50 have been put back into work through Government initiatives since 1997. [132948]
§ Mr. BrowneWe are providing a wide range of services through Jobcentre Plus to help people aged over 50 looking for work. This includes job-search help and advice, training, and claiming in-work financial support. Well over 120,000 people aged over 50 have been helped back to work through Government programmes, such as New Deal 50 plus, since they began to be introduced in 1998. These programmes have helped to increase the employment rate of older workers by 5.4 per cent. from 64.7 per cent. in the spring of 1997 to 70.1 per cent. in the spring of 2003.