Reactions

Reactions to the contracts awards are interesting. G4S, with 3 contracts (and the contract for running Birmingham prison, announced yesterday) saw its share price go up, while Serco, with only 2, saw a fall. A4e doesn't have shareholders - but if it had, the shares would surely have risen. The Guardian reports that, "Small voluntary groups complained ministers had undermined the 'big society' by handing the £5bn-plus contracts to big providers." The Association of Learning Providers, a trade body for the industry, wants the government to go the whole hog and privatise Jobcentre Plus. Put that alongside another Guardian piece, "Jobcentres tricking people out of benefits to cut costs, says whistleblower" which is quite horrifying, and you see that it's a real possibility.

A4e has been named by a Dutch outfit as one of Britain's top employers. "The research shows that A4e has outstanding HR policies and excellent working conditions." That could come as a surprise to some.