[holding answer 20 January 2009]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Mel Groves:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what courses his Department offered to claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance in Chelmsford in the last 12 months; and what the cost was per person of each course completed. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Eligible customers in Chelmsford receiving Jobseeker's Allowance have had access to a range of training provision over the last twelve months through our training programmes including New Deals, Access to Work, Programme Centres, Workstep, Workprep and through our Rapid Response Fund. We have also purchased individually tailored training for eligible customers. Jobseeker's Allowance customers have also accessed training by other partners including The Learning and Skills Council, Local Authorities and Colleges.
Specific information is not available for all training courses completed by our Jobseeker's Allowance customers in Chelmsford, nor on what the cost was per person of each course completed.
My District Manager for Essex, Neil Brettell, will be delighted to brief you in more detail on the range of provision available in the Chelmsford area. Neil can be contacted on 01245 214242, by post at Government Buildings, Beeches Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 2RT or by email at:
Neil.Brettell@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk