Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Youth Employment

Monday 25 January 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial commitment to supporting young people entering employment during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • Concerns raised about the time it takes for small and medium-sized enterprises to apply for the kickstart scheme.
  • Department aims to process kickstart scheme applications within one month, though delays can occur if additional information is needed.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alec Shelbrooke Con Wetherby and Easingwold
Employment
Context

The question arises from concerns about unemployment among young people due to the economic impacts of the pandemic. The Department is tasked with mitigating long-term effects on youth employment.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to help increase levels of employment among young people (a) during and (b) after the covid-19 outbreak?

Answer from Mims Davies

This Conservative Government and I, as the employment Minister, are committed to providing support to help our young people to move into work and avoid the long-term scarring effects of unemployment, both during the pandemic and as we recover from its impact. Our plan for jobs includes an expanded DWP youth offer, kickstart and more than 100 new youth hubs to assist young people to move into meaningful, sustained employment.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer provides general commitments but lacks specific details on steps being taken during and after the outbreak with timelines or concrete actions.

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Q2 Alec Shelbrooke Con Wetherby and Easingwold
Business & Trade
Context

Local businesses in the constituency have raised concerns about delays in processing their kickstart scheme applications. The question aims to address these specific issues.

Question

Small and medium-sized enterprises in my constituency have raised concerns about the time it takes to apply for the kickstart scheme. What action is the Department taking to ensure that applications are processed as quickly as possible?

Answer from Mims Davies

The Department worked at pace to launch the kickstart scheme in September, with the first applications open in November. Our aim is to take forward applications within one month, but it can take longer if we require additional information. We expect the situation to improve as we adopt processes and embed learnings from the thousands of employers and hundreds of gateways that have joined the scheme early on. My hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that the application from Fotofabric Ltd in his constituency has now been approved.

Answered
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