HC Deb 12 January 2004 vol 416 cc558-9W
Mr. George Osborne

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what(a) percentage and (b) value of New Deal contracts are delivered by (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) private companies and (iii) voluntary organisations; [144598]

(2) if he will list the (a) private companies and (b) voluntary organisations that have contracts to deliver New Deal support. [144599]

Mr. Browne

All contracts to deliver New Deal are awarded to external providers, from the private and not for profit sectors. Some New Deal advisory services are delivered by Jobcentre Plus, but these are not governed by a contractual process.

In 2002–03, total New Deal expenditure by Jobcentre Plus was approximately £8121 million; of this, expenditure on New Deal contracts with the private and not for profit sectors amounted to £337 million, approximately 42 per cent. of the total. The remainder of the expenditure was on services delivered by Jobcentre Plus (£247 million) and on allowances paid to New Deal customers (£180 million) and other financial incentives (£48 million).

Jobcentre Plus contracts out New Deal provision to over 1,000 external providers and the details of these providers are held at regional and district level. Therefore, listing separately the private companies and voluntary organisations that have contracts to deliver New Deal support could be done only at a disproportionate cost.

1Estimated outturn