– Work and Pensions Committee Select Committee Announcement

Work and Pensions Committee Select Committee Announcement

AN18 2010–11

ORAL EVIDENCE

Work Programme: providers and contracting arrangements

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Wednesday 12 January 2011, Grimond Room, Portcullis House

At 9.30am

• Stephen Evans, Director of Employment and Skills, London Development Agency

• Maria Hudson, Policy Studies Institute
• Professor Dan Finn, Professor of Social inclusion, University of Portsmouth (and Associate Director of the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion)
• Dave Simmonds, Chief Executive, Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion

This is the first oral evidence session in the inquiry into the Work programme: providers and contracting arrangements. It will provide an opportunity to discuss with a panel of experts many of the key issues arising from the inquiry. These include:

• The steps the Department for Work and Pensions needs to take to ensure that a procurement programme of this size and complexity is managed effectively and delivers high quality outcomes
• The extent to which the Work Programme will differ from existing contracted employment programmes
• The relationship between prime contractors and sub-contractors and DWP’s role in overseeing this relationship
• The role of Jobcentre Plus in delivering the Work Programme, including the lessons learned from the Delegated Flexibility Pilots
• The implications for providers of the increase in volume and the change in profile of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants arising from the migration from Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance
• The implications for providers of “payments by results” arrangements, with particular reference to the voluntary and social enterprise sector
• The likely effectiveness of a differential payment scheme in encouraging providers to support harder to help groups
• The implications of regional variations in the labour market, and whether these will be reflected in the differential payment arrangements
• How providers will be encouraged to work effectively with local authorities and other local agencies

Further information

Committee membership: Miss Anne Begg MP (Chair) (Lab, Aberdeen South), Harriett Baldwin MP (Con, West Worcestershire), Andrew Bingham MP (Con, High Peak), Karen Bradley MP (Con, Staffordshire Moorlands), Alex Cunningham MP (Lab, Stockton North), Kate Green MP (Lab, Stretford and Urmston), Mr Oliver Heald MP (Con, North East Hertfordshire), Glenda Jackson MP (Lab, Hampstead and Highgate), Brandon Lewis MP, (Con, Great Yarmouth), Stephen Lloyd MP (Lib Dem, Eastbourne), Teresa Pearce MP (Lab, Erith and Thamesmead)

Specific Committee Information:  workpencom@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 5832

Media Information: Laura Humble  humblel@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 2003

Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/workpencom

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