Jobcentre Plus (Staffing)

Answer: My hon. Friend will be glad to know that that is exactly what we propose to do with the adviser discretionary fund—we always take his suggestions very seriously. We are increasing the adviser discretionary fund, which will pay for costs that need to be borne to get people back into work, such as the cost of buying a suit for an interview, or of getting qualifications in order to get people into vacancies in their areas. I am sure that all parties in the House will support that.

This is an answer to the Oral question asked on Monday, 11 May 2009 by Lindsay Hoyle (Labour).

Question: Is my right hon. Friend aware that there are constraints on Jobcentre Plus managers? We ought to give them more flexibility and a budget that they can use with individuals for training. A job can come up, but managers do not have the flexibility to say, "Yes, you can go on that training scheme, which will ensure that you get a job in future." Can my right hon. Friend give more flexibility and devolve a budget to each Jobcentre Plus office?

Secondary information