Jobless could be offered 'foyer hostels'

Whitehall sources said last night that the idea of "foyer hostels" was one of the proposals seriously being considered by ministers as part of the new deal to get more young people into work.

Foyer hostels - offering a range of facilities under one roof - have been pioneered in France and the idea has impressed British ministers looking for ways of encouraging more single mothers to take work.

The hostels could provide creches and job-search facilities, which ministers believe would be an attractive alternative to single mothers who feel isolated in blocks of council flats.