New Deal (Hansard, 22 July 2004)

§ Mr. Willetts
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants have been through(a) the New Deal for the over -50s and (b) the New Deal for Partners to date; and what percentage moved into jobs in each case [182071]

§ Jane Kennedy
To the end of March 2004, there have been a total of 7,820 starts to the New Deal for Partners and a total of 1,870 jobs (24 per cent. of total starts) have been gained through the programme.
Figures on the number of people participating in New Deal 50-plus are not available.
443W
Up to March 2003, job outcomes for New Deal 50-plus were based on the number of people taking up the New Deal 50-plus Employment Credit. Between April 2000, when New Deal 50 Plus started, and March 2003, there were 98,040 employment credit starts. Figures for the number of people finding jobs through New Deal 50-plus but not receiving the employment credit are not available.
In April 2003, the employment credit was replaced by the 50-plus return to work element of the working tax credit. We are currently working with the Inland Revenue to secure robust data on how many people have claimed this. However, between April 2003 and December 2003, 19,970 people returned to work thanks to Jobcentre Plus and the New Deal.

§ Mr. Willetts
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have participated in New Deal 50-plus in each year since it was introduced; how many have found a job as a result; and how many have received a weekly employment credit. [178873]

§ Jane Kennedy
Figures on the number of people participating in New Deal 50-plus are not available.
Up to March 2003, job outcomes for New Deal 50-plus were based on the number of people taking up the New Deal 50-plus Employment Credit. These figures are in the table.

New Deal 50-plus Employment Credit starts

Number¹

April 2000 to December 2000 24,830

January 2001 to December 2001 35,080

January 2002 to December 2002 31,830

January 2003 to March 2003 6,300

¹Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Note:

ND50 + Employment Credit started in April 2000 and was replaced by the 50 plus return to work element of Working Tax Credit in April 2003.

New Deal 50-plus Employment Credit starts
Number¹
April 2000 to December 2000	24,830
January 2001 to December 2001	35,080
January 2002 to December 2002	31,830
January 2003 to March 2003	6,300
¹Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Note:
ND50 + Employment Credit started in April 2000 and was replaced by the 50 plus return to work element of Working Tax Credit in April 2003.