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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women in Crosby have participated in (a) the New Deal for Lone Parents and (b) the New Deal for Partners since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [223938] Mr. Pond: Through the New Deal we have introduced a wide range of initiatives to help individuals improve their employment prospects by giving them the skills, support and confidence they need to move into work. We have successfully rolled out Work Focused Interviews to provide lone parents with the opportunity to discuss work options and find out about the help available to them. From 12 April 2004 we have enhanced the New Deal for Partners to offer partners taking part in the programme the same level of support as our successful New Deal for Lone Parents programme. We are rolling out Work Focused Interviews for Partners offering greater support to partners of benefit recipients. From October 2004 we have piloted a number of initiatives, including Worksearch Premium and In Work Credit, to test out whether barriers to lone parents entering and remaining in work can be removed. 540 women have started the New Deal for Lone Parents in Crosby since the beginning of the programme in October 1998. Information on the number of women in Crosby who have started the New Deal for Partners is not available.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c1384W;432 c1380W; 223938

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Women Employment Employment schemes New deal schemes New deal for lone parents New deal for partners Crosby

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk