Written question asked by John Battle (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 December 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 December 2009. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Thursday, 21 January 2010 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Unemployment: Leeds

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she has taken to reduce levels of unemployment in Leeds West constituency amongst lone parents since 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: Lone parents in Leeds, West have access to a wide range of pre-employment and in-work support, including the new deal for lone parents, dedicated personal advisers, working tax credits and in-work credit. Lone parents claiming jobseeker's allowance also have access to support available to other jobseekers, such as to self-employment support, provisions such as work-focused training and recruitment subsidies available as part of the six month offer, the flexible new deal, and access to Local Employment Partnerships, where available.According to the Household Labour Force Survey, the employment rate of lone parents in West Yorkshire was approximately 50.2 per cent. in 2001 (Quarter 2) and approximately 52.8 per cent. in 2009 (Quarter 2). West Yorkshire is the smallest region which includes Leeds, West for which the Department has employment data for lone parents.

Secondary information