Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobs that were created by the Kickstart Scheme were lost when the scheme ended.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Department for Work and Pensions will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart scheme throughout and after its implementation and will continue to evaluate the longer-term outcomes for Kickstart participants after they have completed their six-month jobs. This will include an estimate of the young people that remained employed (either with their Kickstart employer or moving into a job with a different employer), as well as the number of young people no longer in employment upon leaving a Kickstart role.
The evaluation will include surveys to capture the views and experiences of Kickstart participants and of employers and gateway organisations. The fieldwork for the commissioned evaluation will continue until at least 2023.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what was the total number of work placements provided by the Kickstart Scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
As of 5 June 2022, over 163,000 Kickstart jobs had been started by young people. The last Kickstart jobs were started by young people on 31 March 2022.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, why the Kickstart Scheme ended in January 2022.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Kickstart has seen over 163,000 jobs started by young people since it launched in September 2020 and the number of people on payrolls is now above pre-pandemic levels for every age group. The Scheme was a temporary response to protect young people from the risk of the scarring effects of long-term unemployment caused by the pandemic.
Kickstart was designed to deliver value for money in uncertainty and successfully responded to huge variations in the labour market and delivery context, including major Covid-19 restrictions, the closure of the Covid Job Retention Scheme and the extension of the scheme for an additional three months. The ongoing economic recovery, with 1.3 million vacancies available in the labour market, now means there is plenty of opportunity for young people to find unsubsidised work.
Kickstart closed to applications from employers and gateways on 17 December 2021 with the final job starts taking place on 31 March 2022. The last Kickstart jobs will come to an end on 30 September 2022.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the earnings limit for those claiming Carer’s Allowance to at least 16 hours work per week at the National Living Wage.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the Hon member to the answer I gave on 10 February 2022 to question number 120937.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-02-08/120937
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to increase Carer’s Allowance and other benefits in line with inflation predictions when benefit ratings take effect on 11 April 2022.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions, and the Consumer Prices Increase (CPI) in the year to September (published by the Office for National Statistics in October) is the latest figure that the Secretary of State can use to allow sufficient time for the required legislative and operational changes before new rates can be introduced at the start of the new financial year.
We recognise people are facing pressures with the cost of living – which is why we are providing support with the cost of living worth £22 billion across this financial year and next.
In his Spring Statement the Chancellor announced the doubling the Support Fund to help households with the cost of living to £1billion by providing an extra £500 million from April 2022, on top of the £500 million already provided since October 2021. In England, The Household Support Fund will help households with the cost of essentials such as food, clothing and utilities and will continue to be distributed to Local Authorities, who are best placed to direct help to those who need it most. The Devolved Administrations will receive £79 million of this additional funding.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional Carer’s Allowance Supplement payments to all carers in receipt of Carer's Allowance.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the Hon member to the answer I gave on 23 March to question number 140422. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-03-15/140422
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to reintroduce the pension triple-lock for the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government is committed to implementing the Triple Lock in the usual way for the remainder of the Parliament. The decision to up-rate State Pensions in line with the Consumer Price Index, for 2022/23, is a one-year response to exceptional circumstances.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that employers within the security industry follow health and safety legislation sufficiently.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Health and Safety legislation applies to the security industry in the same way it does to other sectors of British industry. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or local authority are the enforcement authority dependent upon the nature of the premises concerned. Several approaches are used ensure compliance with the law:
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on protecting the health of HGV drivers from road air pollution.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates work-related health and safety in Great Britain. Employers, including Local Authorities (LAs), have existing duties under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 to manage health risks where workers may be exposed to hazardous substances as a result of work. The Regulations are supported by Workplace Exposure Limits (WELS) for substances hazardous to health. These will inform an employer’s assessment and management of risk from exhaust emissions and pollutants such as Nitrogen Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide that can give rise to Occupational Lung Diseases (OLD).
Tackling OLDs as a result of exposure to hazardous substances at work is one of HSE’s health priorities. HSE works with a broad range of stakeholders including trade associations, employers, trade unions, third sector and professional bodies to reduce the incidence rate of OLDs.