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Lone Parent Employment

: I am astounded by that remark because I think that that figure is jolly good. If the hon. Gentleman were to examine labour market interventions throughout the world, he would find that it is necessary to work pretty hard and make comprehensive interventions to secure the sort of result where half the people who get involved in the programme succeed in moving to employment. Of course we want that employment to be sustained, and we want to do better in that regard, but the hon. Gentleman ought to have the grace to accept that that sort of success rate for labour market intervention should be welcomed in this nation. It is certainly welcomed internationally.