To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of (a) lone parents, (b) incapacity benefit claimants and (c) jobseeker's allowance claimants she estimates will be covered by the single personalised employment programme pilot scheme. (282685)

[holding answer 29 June 2009]: On 16 June 2009 we announced that we would pilot the Personalised Employment Programme in three Jobcentre Plus Districts: the London boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight district and Thames Valley district

These pilot areas will cover around 6 per cent. of benefit claimants across the eligible customer groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes have been made to the single personalised employment programme pilot scheme since it was first announced; and when it is expected to commence. (282686)

[holding answer 29 June 2009]: In January 2009 the Department for Work and Pensions published a discussion paper on the next steps in implementing the Gregg Review. In this document the Government announced that the pilots would include parents with younger children in addition to jobseekers and those with health conditions or disabilities. The programme was also renamed and it is now known as the Personalised Employment Programme.

Changes to the programme have not altered the roll-out date for the pilots, which are expected to commence in March 2011.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the budget for (a) the Future Jobs Fund, (b) support to take an existing job in a key employment sector, (c) work-focused training places and (d) places on a community task force component of the Young Person’s Guarantee is for (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12; (283577)

The total funding for Young Person’s Guarantee, which includes Future Jobs Fund, the Community Task Force, Sectoral Pathways and additional training, is £250 million for 2009-10 and £838 million for 2010-11. In addition, there is £20 million to support delivery through Jobcentre Plus. There is no funding allocated for 2011-12.

The Community Task Force will be delivered by contracted providers. The procurement process is being led by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how long the Government's Young Person's Guarantee will be offered; and what steps the Government plans to take to fulfil the Guarantee after the closure of the Future Jobs Fund in March 2011. (283579)

The Young Person's Guarantee and Future Jobs Fund will last from April 2009 to March 2011. Those who join the offer on the last date will continue until their placement ends.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanism there is for provision of the community task force under the Young Person’s Guarantee; who will provide task force places; for how long on average a participant will be on the task force; how much Government funding has been allocated for provision of the task force; what incentives providers will receive to secure job entries; and whether young people participating in the community task force will receive a training allowance in place of jobseeker’s allowance. (283611)

The Budget announced a Young Person’s Guarantee; a guaranteed offer of a job, work experience placement or training for all jobseeker’s allowance customers approaching 12 months of their claim.

The Community Task Force is the work experience element of the Young Person’s Guarantee. It will offer work-focused placements of benefit to the community, designed to move customers closer to the labour market.

When the Young Person’s Guarantee is introduced in January 2010, the Community Task Force will be offered on a voluntary basis to all customers not taking up another element of the guarantee. It is expected to become mandatory for all customers who do not take up another element from spring 2010. Placements will last up to six months while the scheme is voluntary, and three months when it becomes mandatory, with the option in the latter case for young people to stay on for a further three months on a voluntary basis.

The Department for Work and Pensions will be contracting with external providers to provide these placements. The Community Task Force will use a standard funding model, comprising a service fee and outcome payment. The outcome payment will be paid to the provider when a customer finds sustained, paid employment.

Customers taking part in the Community Task Force will be paid a training allowance, rather than jobseeker’s allowance. However, they will still be expected to be actively looking for work and to leave the programme if they find paid employment.

Funding for the Community Task Force is included in the Young Person’s Guarantee funding and is not available as a separate figure. The budget for the Young Person’s Guarantee is approximately £250 million for 2009-10 and £838 million for 2010-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanism there is for provision of work-focused training places under the Young Person’s Guarantee; who will provide such places; for how long on average a participant will receive training; how much government funding has been allocated for such places; what incentives providers will receive to secure job entries; and whether young people participating in such training will receive a training allowance rather than jobseeker’s allowance. (283612)

A range of public and private sector training providers will deliver the training element of the Young Person’s Guarantee. Learners can access the training through their Jobcentre Plus personal adviser or by going direct to a provider.

The length of training depends on the type of course that the participant enrols in. Shorter, sector specific training through Sector Routeways is designed to take up to eight weeks, providing more focused training for people closer to the labour market. Longer training from three to six months is designed for people who need a more significant and sustained boost to their skills.

The budget for this training is £122,400,000 in total from 2009-11. The funding model for this offer, which will detail any provider incentives and training allowances, has not yet been finalised.