Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills about links between Work Programme providers and recruitment agencies.

The Department has not discussed the links between Work Programme providers and recruitment agencies with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Work Programme providers have the freedom to develop innovative approaches to support those with significant and multiple barriers to work to help them find work and keep them in sustained employment. This could include where appropriate the participant using employment agencies.