I thought it might be helpful to the Committee if I clarified the position and my response to Mr Bacon's questions 56 to 63 at the hearing, as there appears to have been some confusion.

  I understood from Mr Bacon's questions to Sir Leigh about lone parent employment, that he was concerned about the non-participation of these customers in our work-focused interview regime and required to expand on how we are engaging lone parents and other income support customers. I responded to this is my answers to questions 57 and 58. However it appears that Mr Bacon was also seeking a detailed response on our work-focus interventions generally with inactive customers, some of who may be lone parents, but many of whom we are also engaging with through mandatory Work-Focused Interviews for Partners. The chart, figure 10, on page 21 to which Mr Bacon refers to in question 57 presents data on the New Deal for Partners rather than the New Deal for Lone Parents. I therefore thought it might be helpful to expand on my response to Mr Bacon's question 60:

  In addition to our increasing work-focused interventions with lone parents, partners of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance are required to attend a work-focused interview at six months into the claim. Failure to attend this interview without good cause will result in a benefit sanction being applied. At this interview partners are encouraged to join the New Deal for Partners (NDP).

  For certain couples without children, there is also a requirement for both to make a claim and satisfy JSA conditionality in order to receive a payment of JSA. This represents a more holistic approach to household worklessness. Partners of JSA customers who fall within the scope of Joint Claims are required to be available and actively seeking work and receive the same kind of support in looking for a job as other JSA customers.

  NDP is a voluntary programme and partners are an extremely diverse customer group, in terms of their personal characteristics, current circumstances and barriers to work. Many partners of benefit recipients have caring responsibilities, both for children and for elderly, sick or disabled adults. 60% of partners have dependent children. Significant numbers of partners have health problems. These factors can affect their ability or inclination to take up work or take up the opportunities within NDP. From April 2008 we will be reviewing the circumstances of JSA partners with children (the biggest proportion of partners within this customer group) every six months and this should provide a greater opportunity for those to receive employment-focused help and advice.

Lesley Strathie