Minister replies to concerns about introduction of the Work Programme

The Committee’s Chair, Dame Anne Begg, wrote to the Minister to seek an urgent response to concerns raised by witnesses in oral evidence to the Committee on 2 February. During this session, witnesses highlighted a potential gap in welfare-to-work provision which may arise between the planned termination of many existing programmes by April 2011 and the launch of the Work Programme in June 2011.

The Chair’s letter to the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Minister for Employment, is available to download here:
Letter from the Chair to the Minister for Employment

The Minister’s response is available to download here:
Response from the Minister for Employment to the Chair

A transcript of the oral evidence taken on 2 February is available here:
2 February: oral evidence transcript

This exchange of correspondence forms part of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry into the Work Programme: providers and contracting arrangements.

The Minister for Employment will provide oral evidence to the Committee in relation to this inquiry on 14 March 2011.