Oral Answers to Questions

Sandra Osborne Excerpts

Wednesday 19th June 2013 Commons Chamber

The Minister for the Cabinet Office was asked—

[Sandra Osborne (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (Lab)]

1. What recent discussions he has had with civil society groups on the effect of the Work programme on their organisations.

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr Nick Hurd)]

I have regular discussions with organisations that deliver the Work programme. I recognise that they operate in a challenging environment, but I salute their collective early success in getting more than 200,000 long-term unemployed people into work, as I am sure does the hon. Lady.

[Sandra Osborne]

I thank the Minister for that response. A recent report by the Work and Pensions Committee on the Work programme found that many voluntary sector organisations that are listed as sub-contractors do not consider themselves to be involved at all, leading to suspicions that specialist organisations are being used as “bid candy”, rather than to deliver services. What will the Minister do to ensure that such charities are treated fairly?

[Mr Hurd]

It is for the Department for Work and Pensions to respond to that report; my role is to ensure that the relevant Minister understands the concerns of the voluntary sector. We should recognise that more than 350 voluntary sector organisations in the supply chain are doing incredibly valuable work to get long-term unemployed people back into work. My other role is to ensure that we learn the lessons from that programme in forthcoming payment-by-results programmes, not least in the transforming rehabilitation and probation programme.