Sepuloni Carmel; Upston LouiseHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston): I'm going to quick fire these questions because I really think it's important that we ask questions for the general public and that they get to hear the Minister answer them and I'm hoping that I get quick fire responses from the Minister as well.There are a number of employment programmes that have been invested in over recent years that have proven to be effective and actually there's the reporting to show that they are effective: Mana in Mahi Flexi-wage He Poutama Rangatahi Apprenticeship Boost are a few of them just to name a few. I want to know from the Minister whether or not she's planning on continuing to invest in those types of positive employment programmes that are particularly good for our young people who find themselves unemployed.Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Social Development and Employment): Thank you Madam Chair. I'm not going to cover off questions that I replied to in the previous session but what I will say is that we will continue to ensure that programmes that are delivered—assessment is undertaken to ensure that they are effective and if they are not effective funding won't continue. Of course there are a range of measures that the programmes are assessed by. Some of them might have been assessed as promising others haven't been reviewed yet and I want to act with pace to ensure that programmes that are funded at the moment are delivering as we expect.Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston): In light of the cuts being made to the public sector at the moment and taking on board what we have heard—that there are going to be backroom function cuts—I want to ask the Minister whether or not she anticipates any impact on research on evaluation of these employment programmes on insights. Currently the Ministry of Social Development because of our investment has been able to report quite thoroughly on the effectiveness of employment programmes. Will that continue given the cuts that are being proposed to backroom functions? And will those cuts include the insights team at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD)?Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Social Development and Employment): Madam Chair I will confirm that the period that is under review is up to 30 June 2023.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Point of order. Madam Chair I have asked a question that's retrospective with regards to the ability for MSD—proven ability over the course of the last year—to report on performance of those employment programmes. And now I'm asking whether that will continue. I think we're allowed to in this debate.CHAIRPERSON (Barbara Kuriger): Yeah that's a fair question.Hon LOUISE UPSTON: Madam Chair I did say in the answer to the last question if the member had bothered to listen that we will continue to assess programmes for their effectiveness. Where programmes are assessed as effective of course they will continue.Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston): Will the cuts to backroom functions impact the ability of the Ministry of Social Development to continue to measure performance in the way that they have been able to in the last year particularly with regards to employment programmes?Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Social Development and Employment): Madam Chair of course as part of the hearing we talked about the ambitious jobseeker target to reduce the number on jobseeker benefits by 50000. And of course that will mean that we need to have data and insights and look at programmes that the evidence tells us work.