Contributions
1,730 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is right to point out that Scotland was already starting to struggle with unemployment rates compared with other parts of the United Kingdom, but I assure him that…14 Sept 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend asks an important question about our work with the business community and across the Government. The DWP has been an integral player in the development of the plan…14 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI welcome the endorsement of the Select Committee Chairman. He will recognise some similarities to the future jobs fund, but ours is a much more ambitious programme and we are…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI am sure my hon. Friend will be pleased that we are establishing a youth hub in Rhyl in his constituency, which will be part of an important link between our Jobcentre Plus…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeThe Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has, as with all DWP Ministers, been a key part of making sure we work at this as an entire Department. We have also been working…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI do not know the hon. Member very well, but I am disappointed by his attitude. Candidly, millions of jobs have been protected by the furlough scheme, and we have extended that…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeIt is widely recognised that getting is job is easier once someone has had work experience and is in a job already. This creation of thousands of additional jobs through this…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeThe scheme is being set up at pace, so I do not agree with the hon. Lady’s assertions. On small businesses, it is far easier than it has ever been for them to participate in this…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeThe Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex, has held a roundtable meeting in Derbyshire. That has been part of the engagement. My…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI think the hon. Gentleman was in a roundtable with my hon. Friend the Minister for Employment that focused on that issue. Part of our approach is about having a national…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI am pleased to hear that people in my hon. Friend’s constituency are keen to get involved in offering these opportunities for young people. The best way, if they have an…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeThe hon. Lady is right to focus on the young people in her constituency and their challenges to employment. There is already a youth hub in Birmingham. We are learning from the…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeThere are usually already very good relationships between colleges and jobcentres. There are actually some virtual job fairs happening already; there is a particularly big one in…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI was also in Scotland last week, talking about the potential of this in helping young people right across Scotland. Barriers have actually been removed from previous designs of…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI agree with my hon. Friend that this is a mutually beneficial arrangement for young people and employers. The amount of money that has already been set aside is £2 billion of…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeThe hon. Lady should be aware that there have been 330 stakeholder engagements with a mixture of groups, and of course social enterprises will be a key element of that. The…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI appreciate my hon. Friend’s enthusiasm and endorsement. He is right to be enthusiastic about this opportunity for young people. The scheme is intended to take applications up to…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeYesterday, the Government launched our new kickstart scheme, as set out in the written ministerial statement and the letter sent to all Members of both Houses. This £2 billion…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeActually, the employment gap between disabled people and people without disabilities has narrowed under the Government since 2010. That is a record of which we are proud, but we…03 Sept 2020HANSARD Kickstart SchemeI thank the hon. Gentleman for his sort of support for the kickstart scheme. I really think that across the House we should see this as an opportunity for us all to help young…03 Sept 2020