Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 36
36
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 242
Publish quarterly performance data for all employment programmes by January 2024 for transparency.
Recommendation
We welcome the recent publication of Restart statistics but there is more work to be done to if the Department is to provide transparent accountability across the range of DWP employment services. DWP lacks transparency around programme performance, making proper evaluation of schemes unfeasible. This makes it difficult to hold the Department to account or make detailed recommendations around its programmes. DWP should release results for each of its employment programmes on a quarterly basis, as it does for the Work and Health Programme. This would allow external evaluation of the schemes which would help DWP make informed decisions about how to implement changes or continue successful practices. This data release should start no later than 1 January 2024.
Government Response Summary
The government states it currently publishes quarterly statistics for the Work and Health Programme and 6-monthly for the Restart Scheme. It commits to continue publishing and developing future employment programme publications but does not agree to release results for *all* programmes on a quarterly basis by 1 January 2024.
Paragraph Reference:
242
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
DWP currently produces and publishes quarterly statistics for the Work and Health Programme, and 6-monthly statistics for the Restart Scheme. The department will continue to publish and develop future publications for its employment programmes in line with its statistical work plan, in order to provide accurate, objective information about the participation in and outcomes from these schemes. The latest Work and Health Programme statistics were published on 31 August 2023. The next release of published statistics for the Restart Scheme is planned for December 2023.