Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Regional Inequalities in Employment

Monday 4 September 2023 · 7 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The regional employment rate gap is 7.7 percentage points, which is 1.2 percentage points less than the gap in 2010 and a low figure by historical standards.
  • Universal support and WorkWell pilots bring together healthcare and help with seeking work, believed to be one of the best ways to remedy issues including mental health.
  • Since 2010, youth unemployment has fallen by over 40%. The Department recently announced the expansion of the youth offer to more young people.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andy McDonald Lab Middlesbrough and Thornaby East
Economy Employment
Context

The question arises from concerns over persistent regional disparities in employment rates despite government initiatives.

Question

What assessment has the Department made of the effectiveness of its policies on reducing regional inequalities in employment?

Answer from Mel Stride

The regional employment rate gap is 7.7 percentage points, which is 1.2 percentage points less than the gap in 2010 and a low figure by historical standards.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Details on specific policies' effectiveness were not provided.

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Q2 Christian Wakeford Lab Bury South
NHS Employment
Context

There is a strong correlation between indices of deprivation and addiction, affecting regions like the north-west particularly.

Question

What policies are in place to address addiction and aid employment specifically in the north-west?

Answer from Mel Stride

Universal support and WorkWell pilots bring together healthcare and help with seeking work, believed to be one of the best ways to remedy issues including mental health.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specifics on funding or implementation details were provided.

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Q3 Kate Osborne Lab Jarrow and Gateshead East
Economy Employment
Context

The Jarrow march against unemployment happened 87 years ago, yet the region still faces high unemployment rates.

Question

What are the plans for investing in northern communities to address persistent unemployment issues?

Answer from Mel Stride

There are now nearly 4 million more people in employment than there were in 2010, including about 2 million more women, and unemployment is at a near-historic low.

Not addressed: The answer did not address the call for investment or levelling up initiatives.

How: Deflected To Overall Employment Gains

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Q4 Andy McDonald Lab Middlesbrough and Thornaby East
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

A blog by Lord Ashcroft highlights voter sentiment on the government's cost of living measures.

Question

Does the Secretary of State accept that fair pay agreements could boost the economy and address in-work poverty?

Answer from Mel Stride

My Department has been responsible for distributing millions of payments to vulnerable people, including £900 total to 8 million low-income households and £150 to 6 million disabled people.

Not addressed: The question was about fair pay agreements, but the response discussed existing payment distributions.

How: Diverted To Current Measures

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Q5 Paul Maynard Con
NHS Benefits & Welfare
Context

Parts of the constituency have a healthy life expectancy as low as 53-54 years.

Question

What steps is the Department taking in response to the health and disability White Paper?

Answer from Mel Stride

Measures include universal support and WorkWell, with constant efforts to go further. For over-50s, midlife MOT, returnerships, and pension tax changes are being implemented.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No concrete steps or commitments were made in response to the White Paper specifically.

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Q6 Philip Hollobone Con
Employment
Context

Kettering has a lower overall but higher youth unemployment rate than the national average.

Question

What is being done to address youth unemployment?

Answer from Mel Stride

Since 2010, youth unemployment has fallen by over 40%. The Department recently announced the expansion of the youth offer to more young people.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specifics on how Kettering's situation will be addressed.

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Q7 Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead
Economy
Context

There are significant gaps across regions in terms of economic activity and inactivity.

Question

What is the plan to make levelling up a reality?

Answer from Mel Stride

Economic inactivity has reduced substantially since its peak during the pandemic, falling by around 350,000. It is a major focus for my Department.

Not addressed: The answer was vague and did not provide specific plans or commitments.

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