The government began consultation on the draft European Social Fund operational programme for the period 2007-2013. The programme established the priorities for spending ESF in England to support policies to improve employment opportunities and develop human resources.
Source: Consultation on the European Social Fund in England and Gibraltar 2007-2013, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Consultation document | DWP press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-Oct
The government published its response to consultation on the national strategic reference framework for European Union structural funds programmes during the period 2007-2013. Mainstream competitiveness funding would be divided equally between the European Regional Development Fund (for regional development) and the European Social Fund (for promoting employment). ERDF competitiveness funding would be allocated to regions by reference to population, gross value added, and levels of innovation, enterprise and skills. ESF competitiveness funding would be allocated by reference to numbers of workless people, numbers of working-age people with no qualifications, and numbers of working-age people with low qualifications.
Source: Consultation on a Draft National Strategic Reference Framework for UK Structural Funds Programmes 2007-2013: Government Response to Consultation, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Response | Technical annex | Hansard
Date: 2006-Oct
The government published the first progress report on the national reform programme under the European Union 'Lisbon Strategy' for jobs and growth. It focused on implementation of principal reforms over the previous 12 months, and set out further strategies for delivering long-term sustainable growth, high employment, and a fair and inclusive society.
Source: Lisbon Strategy for Jobs and Growth: UK National Reform Programme: Update on progress, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
An article examined whether the social policy focus of the devolved government in Scotland had resulted in an effective integration of employment and poverty-reduction policies.
Source: Gill Scott, 'Active labour market policy and the reduction of poverty in the "new" Scotland', Critical Social Policy, Volume 26 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
A think-tank report said that it was a myth that low levels of employment regulation and weak trade unions were the cause of Britain s good record at creating jobs and keeping unemployment down.
Source: David Coats, Who s Afraid of Labour Market Flexibility?, Work Foundation (0870 165 6700)
Links: Summary | Work Foundation press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The Department of Trade and Industry published its annual report for 2005-06.
Source: Departmental Report 2006, Cm 6826, Department of Trade and Industry, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-May
A think-tank paper said that opening product markets up to competition had helped to reduce unemployment in many European countries. In the United Kingdom, the effect had been to reduce unemployment by 1.3 percentage points compared with what it would have been without the reforms.
Source: Rachel Griffith, Rupert Harrison and Gareth Macartney, Product Market Reforms, Labour Market Institutions and Unemployment, Working Paper W06/06, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Paper | IFS press release
Date: 2006-Apr
The Department for Work and Pensions published a business plan for 2006-07, setting out performance targets for the Department and its executive agencies.
Source: Business Plan 2006-07, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Plan
Date: 2006-Apr
The government published a strategy for employment relations, with an increased focus on vulnerable workers and those who abused them. In order to help the most vulnerable workers, time equivalent to bank holidays would be made an entitlement over and above annual holiday entitlement; and a pilot would be launched designed to identify and help vulnerable workers. The government would also seek to reduce compliance burdens on employers, including identifying ways to simplify employment law.
Source: Success at Work: Protecting vulnerable workers, supporting good employers, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Report | DTI press release | TUC press release
Date: 2006-Mar
The government published its 2009 report to the European Commission as part of the European Union's 'Lisbon Strategy' for jobs and growth, setting out progress on economic reform. The report responded to the recommendations the European Council agreed in March 2009 for the United Kingdom on fiscal sustainability, skills, and employment.
Source: Lisbon Strategy for Jobs and Growth: UK National Reform Programme 2009, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jan
An article examined the way in which 'discourses of worklessness' were deployed in the 2008 welfare reform Green Paper to make the case for reform. The government's proposals were underpinned by three central claims, regarding the individual causes of worklessness ('motivation'), the responsibilities of citizens to seek work ('morals') and the social benefits of working ('justice'). These claims were used to legitimize plans for accelerating the roll-out of supply-side welfare-to-work programmes that sought to improve the employability of the workless. But these claims were undermined by competing arguments that worklessness was as much a function of labour demand, in terms of a lack of suitable jobs.
Source: Richard Crisp, 'Motivation, morals and justice: discourses of worklessness in the welfare reform green paper', People, Place & Policy, Volume 2 Issue 3
Links: Article
Date: 2006-Jan
The government published a Green Paper on welfare reform. It set out proposals for achieving an 80 per cent employment rate for people of working age - by reducing the number of people on incapacity benefits by 1 million; helping 1 million older workers into employment; and helping over 300,000 lone parents into work. Proposals for incapacity benefit included a new gateway to benefits for people with illness and disabilities; revision of the medical assessment procedures, focusing on ability and support needs rather than incapacity; mandatory work-focused interviews supported by a mandatory action plan of return to work activity for new and existing claimants; and a new employment and support allowance paid to eligible claimants.
Source: A New Deal for Welfare: Empowering people to work, Cm 6730, Department for Work and Pensions, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Green Paper | Hansard | DWP press release | CPAG press release | Citizens Advice press release | OPF press release | DRC press release | MHF press release | Mind press release | TUC press release | PCS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jan