Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many young people from the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities have benefited from the Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government’s ambition is to transform young people’s prospects, by ensuring every one of them, including those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, has the chance to earn or learn through a Youth Guarantee. We have already taken the first steps towards delivering a Youth Guarantee through the launch of eight place-based Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England in Spring 2025. These trailblazers are testing innovative approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people aged 18-21 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET.
At the budget, we announced the expansion of the Youth Guarantee, backed by £820 million investment over the next three years to reach almost 900,000 young people. This includes expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, offering a dedicated session and follow-up support to 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. In addition, it will provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21.
The DWP Place‑based toolkit helps Jobcentre Plus Districts to understand their local populations, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and identify how best to support their needs. This includes bringing together information about local people, employers, partners, labour market trends, and available funding to help tailor support effectively.
Apprenticeship starts by the Gypsy or Irish traveller ethnicity group are published here (see attached): 'Learner Characteristics Ethnicity - Starts, Achievements, Participation by Age, Level, Ethnicity, Sex, LLDD' from 'Apprenticeships', Permanent data table - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK.
2024/25 | ||||
Total | White | Gypsy or Irish Traveller | Total | 160 |
Under 19 | White | Gypsy or Irish Traveller | Total | 50 |
Under 19 | 50 | |||
19+ | White | Gypsy or Irish Traveller | Total | 120 |
19-24 | 40 | |||
25+ | 70 | |||
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Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the foundation apprenticeships introduced in 2025 have been taken up by people from the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government’s ambition is to transform young people’s prospects, by ensuring every one of them, including those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, has the chance to earn or learn through a Youth Guarantee. We have already taken the first steps towards delivering a Youth Guarantee through the launch of eight place-based Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England in Spring 2025. These trailblazers are testing innovative approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people aged 18-21 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET.
At the budget, we announced the expansion of the Youth Guarantee, backed by £820 million investment over the next three years to reach almost 900,000 young people. This includes expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, offering a dedicated session and follow-up support to 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. In addition, it will provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21.
The DWP Place‑based toolkit helps Jobcentre Plus Districts to understand their local populations, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and identify how best to support their needs. This includes bringing together information about local people, employers, partners, labour market trends, and available funding to help tailor support effectively.
Apprenticeship starts by the Gypsy or Irish traveller ethnicity group are published here (see attached): 'Learner Characteristics Ethnicity - Starts, Achievements, Participation by Age, Level, Ethnicity, Sex, LLDD' from 'Apprenticeships', Permanent data table - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK.
2024/25 | ||||
Total | White | Gypsy or Irish Traveller | Total | 160 |
Under 19 | White | Gypsy or Irish Traveller | Total | 50 |
Under 19 | 50 | |||
19+ | White | Gypsy or Irish Traveller | Total | 120 |
19-24 | 40 | |||
25+ | 70 | |||
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Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to strengthen leak detection, odourisation and public health-related standards for gas used in domestic homes and other premises used for cooking fuelled by gas.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is already robust regulation in place to detect leaks and odourise gas. Gas Industry standards are set by the relevant industry standard setting bodies, for example, the Institute for Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), British Standards Institute (BSI) and Liquid Gas UK.
The Health and Safety Executive has regulatory responsibility for public health-related standards in commercial premises, but not in domestic homes.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the outcome of the advice of the Traveller Movement representative on the Department for Work and Pensions Ethnic Minority Adviser Group on promoting access to vocational training and higher education.
Answered by Lord Freud
The aim of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Ethnic Minority Employment Stakeholder Group (EMESG) is to offer Ministers and officials advice on the Department’s services and strategy for the employment/self-employment of ethnic minorities and minority groups.
The EMSG does not provide advice on vocational training and higher education as these issues fall outside of DWP’s responsibilities.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in their draft Child Poverty Strategy 2014–17, what they envisage by "specialist" support for Gypsy and Traveller parents via the Work Programme.
Answered by Lord Freud
The Government’s strategy for increasing ethnic minority employment and participation in the labour market is based around mainstreaming opportunity through locally delivered flexible provision.
The Work Programme is designed to give providers the flexibility to support each individual jobseeker, rather than treat people according to ethnic groups. Local autonomy and flexibility has replaced the one size fits all approach that has dogged previous employment schemes.