Poverty Reduction 2025-09-01
2025-09-01
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The issue of reducing the number of children in poverty, particularly within Sarah Russell's constituency of Congleton.
What steps she is taking to reduce the number of children in poverty in Congleton constituency?
As my hon. Friend knows well, improved employment is at the heart of our approach to child poverty, and that is why reductions in economic inactivity and improvements in employment will be part of our child poverty strategy that is to be published very soon.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not provide specific steps being taken locally in Congleton but spoke generally about the government's approach to reducing child poverty through employment.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The impact of the Government's recent increase in national insurance contributions, particularly on employment rates and business recruitment decisions.
Does the Minister accept that the Government’s increase in national insurance contributions has had a negative impact on employment in communities such as ours? Cumbria Tourism assesses that 37% of its businesses have cut staff as a consequence and 33% are freezing recruitment. Is it possible that the Government will get less from this tax rise than they expect, and that in doing this they are doing grave harm to the Cumbrian tourism economy and many other parts of our economy?
I speak to many businesses, and since coming into office, the Secretary of State and I have totally changed our approach with employers. That new approach includes a partnership with UK Hospitality, providing specific employment support to get into hospitality, and a hospitality passport so that people can evidence their qualifications, which we and UK Hospitality believe can help those people who really need a chance in life to get a good start in the hospitality sector.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not address whether national insurance contributions have had a negative impact on employment or revenue projections but spoke about a new approach with employers and partnerships with UK Hospitality.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The demand for training more construction workers locally, and the government's announcement to train 40,000 people in the summer.
After visiting businesses in Newport East this summer, I know that there is a high demand for companies—including Thames Valley Construction, which I visited—to train more construction workers locally, and I was pleased to see the Government make the announcement in the summer on training 40,000 more people. Can Ministers tell me what conversations they are having with the Welsh Government on working together to do this?
We will not build the much-needed 1.5 million homes without bringing people into the construction sector. That is why, as part of our new approach for employers, we have partnered with the construction sector and set up specific schemes with them. We are also talking directly across Whitehall with other Government Departments and with the sector about moving people into great jobs in construction.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not provide details on conversations with the Welsh Government but spoke generally about partnerships with the construction sector to bring more people into the industry.
Response accuracy