Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Unemployment Levels

Monday 13 May 2024 · 6 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 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Jamie Wallis asked about steps to reduce unemployment, and the response highlighted the work of JCP work coaches and the back to work plan announced by the Chancellor.
  • Craig Tracey inquired about support for people with travel challenges in North Warwickshire and Bedworth, and the response mentioned the flexible support fund as a resource.
  • Sarah Dyke questioned the Minister about steps to help businesses in economic distress, and the response referenced a detailed back to work plan and offered to look into specific cases.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jamie Wallis
Employment
Context

The question arises from the government's efforts to reduce unemployment and seeks specific steps being taken.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce unemployment?

Answer from Mel Stride

We are bearing down on unemployment, not least through the sterling work of our JCP work coaches, as well as through the back to work plan that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor recently announced.

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Q2 Craig Tracey Con
Employment Transport
Context

The MP is hosting a jobs fair and identifies transport access as a significant barrier for potential employees.

Question

Will the Secretary of State set out what if any support is available to help as many people get into some of the fantastic opportunities we have in North Warwickshire and Bedworth?

Answer from Mel Stride

I thank my hon. Friend for the extraordinary work that he does locally to support people into work. He asks what support there is for those with travel challenges. The flexible support fund is there for a variety of different uses, but one is to help with exactly the issue he raises for the first three months of employment.

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Q3 Jamie Wallis
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP is concerned about local job loss and asks for specifics on what the Department does in collaboration with businesses.

Question

Could the Secretary of State tell the House what his Department is doing to work with employers to get people back to work?

Answer from Mel Stride

We do a huge amount with employers both at national level and at local jobcentres. If my hon. Friend has not already engaged with his local jobcentre staff, I strongly recommend that he does so. The results speak for themselves. Unemployment is around half the level in 2010 under the last Labour Government. We have near record levels of employment. Youth unemployment under this Government has fallen more than 40%; under Labour, it went up by almost 45%.

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Q4 Sarah Dyke Lib Dem Glastonbury and Somerton
Economy Employment
Context

The MP raises concerns about more than 39,000 south-west companies being in significant economic distress according to a report.

Question

What steps is the Minister taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that those businesses, which provide vital jobs, find a way out of significant economic distress?

Answer from Mel Stride

As we have set out, there is a clear and detailed back to work plan, which is working for the reasons that I have given. If the hon. Lady has examples of specific employers under the distress that she outlined, the Minister for Employment will be happy to look at what we may be able to do as a Department in her constituency.

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Q5 Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead
Economy Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP challenges the Government's claims about universal credit helping people into work and raises concerns about youth inactivity.

Question

Will the Minister acknowledge what is going on today: for the first time ever, we have 3 million inactive 16 to 24-year-olds?

Answer from Mel Stride

I have already set out that we have universal credit, as the hon. Lady identified, as well as WorkWell and universal support to address exactly the individuals to whom she referred. On the general point, it should be pointed out that economic inactivity is below the OECD, G7 and European Union average, and lower than in France, Italy and the United States and in every year under the last Labour Government.

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Q6 Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead
Economy Employment
Context

The MP questions the truthfulness of Government claims regarding their impact on employment and economic inactivity.

Question

If the Tory plan was working, the OBR would have forecast an increasing employment rate. But what is the truth? Not only is employment forecast to go down, but the forecast was downgraded in response to the Government's policies. That's the truth, isn't it?

Answer from Mel Stride

Our record speaks for itself: 4 million more people in work since 2010. Unemployment has halved since the last Labour Government, on the hon. Lady's watch. Youth unemployment has fallen by more than 40%; under her watch it rose by more than 40%. As I have stated, the last Labour Government's record on economic inactivity is that it was higher than today every single year.

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