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Monday Volume 690 8 March 2021 No. 185 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 8 March 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 501 8 MARCH 2021 502 Dr Coffey: My hon. Friend should be aware that we House of Commons have account managers working in all parts of the country to take up this scheme. In particular, we continue Monday 8 March 2021 to work with a wide range of organisations closely connected to SMEs, including chambers of commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses, to get the The House met at half-past Two o’clock message out there and make it straightforward to apply. We should recognise that, due to eligibility criteria, not all direct applications may be successful, and the support PRAYERS of a gateway is likely to be beneficial. We are also enabling applications through the gateway plus model, [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] which will particularly help sole traders, and we will continue to advertise that. Virtual participation in proceedings continued (Order, 4 June and 30 December 2020). Peter Gibson [V]: I thank my right hon. Friend for her [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] answer. I welcome the removal of the 30-person threshold, which will help even the smallest firm in my constituency. Since the launch of the kickstart scheme, our phenomenal Oral Answers to Questions Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has been facilitating SMEs to access it, and he has helped 350 young people sign up. Will my right hon. Friend join me in commending Ben for the fantastic work he is doing to help young WORK AND PENSIONS people in Darlington gain experience and employment? The Secretary of State was asked— Dr Coffey: I am very happy to agree with my hon. Friend that Ben Houchen is doing a fantastic job in his role as Mayor. In case people had not realised, as well as Kickstart: Employer Accessibility getting Treasury North in my hon. Friend’s constituency of Darlington—a project that I am sure my hon. Friend Richard Fuller (North East Bedfordshire) (Con): What achieved with the Mayor—Ben Houchen is leading the assessment she has made of the effect of the removal of way on making that difference to young people’s lives, the requirement that kickstart applicants bid to deliver which is really important. I have also seen it work well a minimum of 30 jobs on the accessibility of that with Andy Street and, to be fair to other Mayors, I am scheme to a wider range of employers. [912984] confident that people like Steve Rotheram and others will continue to do so. Peter Gibson (Darlington) (Con): What assessment she has made of the effect of the removal of the Andrew Jones: In Harrogate and Knaresborough, we requirement that kickstart applicants bid to deliver a have seen great organisations such as St Michael’s Hospice minimum of 30 jobs on the accessibility of that scheme with North Yorkshire Hospice Care offer 30 roles in support to a wider range of employers. [912990] services, from retail to catering, care and communications. Not everywhere is fortunate enough to have such a Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con): progressive organisation, so the policy change is welcome. What assessment she has made of the effect of the I was originally going to ask my right hon. Friend about removal of the requirement that kickstart applicants the increase that she has seen from this policy change, bid to deliver a minimum of 30 jobs on the accessibility but she has answered that. Will she keep the House of that scheme to a wider range of employers. [912997] informed, so that Members of Parliament can help to promote this fantastic opportunity and see more people The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse get the opportunities that kickstart can provide? Coffey): I am pleased to update the House that, after removing the threshold last month and allowing direct applications for any number of roles, we saw an increase Dr Coffey: My hon. Friend is right to point out that of 3,000 employer applications throughout February, removing the threshold has enabled a number of institutions which is a jump of 75%. There will continue to be an to apply directly to kickstart. The example he highlights important role for gateways as we progress to our was already under way, but it just shows some of the ambition of 250,000 kickstart jobs, which we are well fantastic opportunities that this scheme can offer young on the way to achieving, with almost 150,000 roles people. By creating so many of these roles, with the wider approved, more than 4,000 young people having started variety of roles that we are seeing, we are reducing the their roles and another 30,000 vacancies live right now. risk of long-term unemployment for hundreds of thousands of young people, and we will continue to keep the Richard Fuller: I thank my right hon. Friend for her House updated on progress. answer.Given the large number of small and medium-sized enterprises across the county, jobcentres in Bedfordshire, Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab) [V]: Kickstart is including the one in Biggleswade in my constituency, only for young people claiming universal credit. Many are raring to go to enable small businesses to take disabled young people claim employment and support advantage of this change in Government policy. Can allowance instead. Will the Secretary of State consider she advise me what she is doing to ensure that those extending kickstart to include disabled young people small businesses are aware of the scheme and its benefits? who are not eligible for it at the moment? 503 Oral Answers 8 MARCH 2021 Oral Answers 504 Dr Coffey: The right hon. Gentleman will be aware Jobcentre Estate that young people with disabilities can move on to universal credit, so there may be an incentive to do that, Rob Butler (Aylesbury) (Con): What steps her but this issue is under consideration. My hon. Friend Department is taking to ensure that the jobcentre estate the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has is adequately equipped to support an increased number discussed this with me and the Minister for Employment, of jobseekers. [912986] and we are considering it further. Selaine Saxby (North Devon) (Con): What steps her Mr Speaker: I remind Members to put their masks Department is taking to ensure that the jobcentre estate back on if they can. I am sure that those who have not is adequately equipped to support an increased number done so have a certificate, because they would not want of jobseekers. [R] [912991] to put the rest of us at risk. Matt Vickers (Stockton South) (Con): What steps PIP Application Process: Disabled People her Department is taking to ensure that the jobcentre estate is adequately equipped to support an increased Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab): What number of jobseekers. [913000] recent assessment she has made of disabled people’s experience of the personal independence payment Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con): What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the application process. [912985] jobcentre estate is adequately equipped to support an increased number of jobseekers. [913003] The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Justin Tomlinson): Wehave made a series of improvements Antony Higginbotham (Burnley) (Con): What steps to the personal independence payment claimant experience her Department is taking to ensure that the jobcentre following research and two independent reviews. Building estate is adequately equipped to support an increased on that, the forthcoming Green Paper on health and number of jobseekers. [913004] disability support is being influenced by the views of disabled people and representatives from disability The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work organisations. and Pensions (Mims Davies): As part of our estates expansion and renewal programme, the DWP by summer Cat Smith: I wrote to the Minister last week telling will have rapidly increased the number of Jobcentre him about the work of the Morecambe Bay Poverty Plus sites, placing them in new locations where they are Truth Commission, which has empowered people who needed. This will ensure that we bolster our face-to-face have experienced the social security system to speak support in a covid-safe environment for both our claimants truth to power and try to improve the system. Will he and our additional 13,500 new work coaches. As Members meet the PIP claimants in my constituency who want to will appreciate, negotiations on some sites are ongoing, tell him about their experiences? and I will update the House further when appropriate to do so. Meanwhile, MPs with a new site opening in Justin Tomlinson: I thank the hon. Member for that their constituency are being notified. question, and I would be delighted to do that. I know that she has been very proactive on a number of issues Rob Butler [V]: Sadly, the pandemic has meant that in my area over the years, and I would be delighted to many people in my constituency of Aylesbury have lost have a meeting with her and her organisation to listen their job and, for the first time in decades, find themselves to their experiences. looking for work. How can my hon. Friend ensure that the Jobcentre Plus estate and its staff are equipped to Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab) [V]: help jobseekers who are in their 50s and 60s, who have Following the coroner’s damning prevention of future paid their taxes and their national insurance for their deaths report in the case of Philippa Day, who took an whole working lives and now need bespoke personal overdose and, sadly, passed away because of DWP and assistance to find a new job and continue to contribute Capita failings, have the Government implemented the to the economy? recommendations, and if not, when will they? As well as responding to the coroner, will the Minister keep this Mims Davies: We are supporting people of all ages House updated, and do the Government not accept back into work in Aylesbury and beyond.