Ian Jackson

WDTK

Dear Mr Jackson

Thank you for your request for a review of your Freedom of Information Request 1934 (2009) which was received on 3 November 2009. You stated:-

Did you not see on my message where it states "Published figures don't show this all I can find is monthly starters and leavers which doesn't show whether their course ended or they left before."??

You made me wait 6 weeks for such a nonsense response.

Please clarify yourself with the actual request. Just to confirm I am only interested in statistics relating to those who have left prematurely and NOT those who have left because their course ended.

In your original request (our reference FoI 1934) you had asked:

How many New Deal participants left (prematurely without securing employment) or were exited each year since the New Deal scheme began.

I confirm that I have considered your request afresh. In conducting my review I have discussed the original reply with the staff involved in drafting it, and with the Department's central Freedom of Information Team.

As a result of these investigations I am satisfied that the officer who replied to your original request in his letter to you of 3 November checked the published benefit statistics on the DWP website, paper and electronic records of responses to Parliamentary Questions and other data requests in his work area, and previous DWP Freedom of Information responses. I am satisfied that he also appropriately consulted analysts in relevant policy areas, and colleagues in Jobcentre Plus to establish whether the information you seek is held in that format.

I have myself re-checked with policy analysts and colleagues in Jobcentre Plus and have established that no analysis has been produced and no management information reports are routinely produced which would fully answer your query. The position has not changed since our reply to your request (1052) on the numbers of dismissals, and my review (1488) of our reply, assuming that by “were exited” you mean the same as dismissals.

In the course of these discussions, colleagues identified other published information which partially answers your request. For example, the Tabulation Tool provides a breakdown for New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25+ of the stage at which participants left the programme by destination, which includes those who leave the programme before the follow-though stage, for example

http://83.244.183.180/new_deals/ndyp/live/yp_l_s/j_lvstage/k_newdest/a_stock_r_j_lvstage_c_k_newdest_may09.html .

However, among these people will be those who have left because of reasons such as changes in circumstances, ill health, bereavement and drug and alcohol problems. These groups cannot be identified separately from the available information.

Another relevant set of published statistics which also partially answers your original question is the sanctions statistics, which can identify the number of adverse decisions for losing a place on a New Deal programme due to misconduct. The following link shows one of the sanctions tables.

http://83.244.183.180/sanction/sanction/LIVE/dec_fix_dec/q_2gp/q_ndgp/dct_gp/a_stock_r_q_2gp_c_q_ndgp_p_dct_gp_adverse_jul09.html

I also considered whether our Commercial Directorate might have any information on early leavers and dismissals from New Deal programmes, as part of their contract management role. However, any management information they do have is supplier generated. This information is provided to DWP in confidence and is therefore exempt from disclosure under Section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act.

In conclusion therefore, I can confirm that the officer replying to your request carried out a thorough search for the information, but as the specific information you requested is not available, he then provided the nearest available statistics.

If you have any queries about this review please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

DWP Central FoI Team

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Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner's Office for a decision. Generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF www.ico.gov.uk

DWP Central Freedom of Information Team

e-mail: [DWP request email]

FOI ref no 2246 (2009)

14 December 2009