Written question asked by Tim Loughton (Conservative) on Thursday, 19 October 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 23 October 2006. It was answered by Phil Woolas (Labour) on Tuesday, 31 October 2006 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Social Exclusion Unit

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 99W, on the Social Exclusion Unit, on what date the Social Exclusion Unit ceased to exist; why the decision was made to end the work of the Unit; and which agency now has responsibility for taking forward the work programme of the Unit.

Answer: I have been asked to reply.On 17 July 2006 responsibility for social exclusion transferred from the Social Exclusion Unit, based in the Department for Communities and Local Government, to the Social Exclusion Task Force, based in the Cabinet Office. This followed the appointment of a Cabinet-level Minister for Social Exclusion in the Cabinet Office.The Social Exclusion Task Force now leads cross-government work on social exclusion and provides support to the Minister. It published ““Reaching Out, the Government's Action Plan on Social Exclusion””, in September 2006. The main work programme of the Social Exclusion Unit (““Improving Services, Improving Lives””) was completed in July 2006.

Secondary information