Work minister Des Browne is determined to drive unemployment down in the South-East even from its record low levels.

The minister, who has been in post three months, spent a day in Brighton and was impressed with what he saw.

He looked at the way in which Working Links and Tomorrow's People are spending getting jobs tailor-made for people. Mr Browne also visited a project by the charity Impact called Workability Brighton and Hove which so impressed him that he asked for details to see whether lessons could be learnt from it nationally.

Mr Browne, who also has health and safety at work responsibilities, went to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

He was shown efforts being made to reduce stress in one of the region's busiest hospitals and how portering staff try to avoid back problems through careful lifting of patients.

Mr Browne said efforts still had to be made to get more single parents back to work. Most were eager to do it but needed help, often with childcare.

Progress was also being made in helping those over 50 get jobs.

The minister said economic growth and low interest rates had helped produce a good climate for jobs and more people were employed in Britain than ever before.

But he added: "There are still opportunities to show people what they can do and to work with them."

Tuesday September 16, 2003