Oral Answers to Questions

Gareth Bacon Excerpts

Monday 19th June 2023 Commons Chamber

[Guy Opperman]

My hon. Friend is right. Economic inactivity is down, employment is up and vacancies are down, thanks in part to the efforts of my hon. Friend and Keighley Jobcentre Plus, whose next jobs fair is on Wednesday week and will be attended by 17 employers across all sectors. I urge everyone in Keighley to attend as well.

[Gareth Bacon (Orpington) (Con)]

T1.   If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mel Stride)]

When I was appointed to this job, I came to the House and said that one of our key focuses would be economic inactivity, which, as we have just heard, has fallen: it is down by 45% since its peak, and was down by 140,000 in the last quarter alone. Another key focus is bearing down on fraud, and fraud levels have fallen by some 10% across our benefits system since we published our fraud plan in May last year.

[Gareth Bacon]

Some on the political left have made much noise about the third-party universal basic income pilots that have been launched in recent days. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the concept of a universal basic income was roundly rejected even during the pandemic, and that this kind of uneven, untargeted and dependency-creating communism is doomed to failure?

Child Support (Enforcement) Bill

Gareth Bacon Excerpts

3rd reading
Friday 17th March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Gareth Bacon (Orpington) (Con)]

In common with everyone today, I rise to support the Bill. First, I wish to pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Siobhan Baillie) for the work she has done on this matter. As we have heard, she could not attend today, so I also wish to pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Katherine Fletcher), who did an able job in representing her. Some valuable contributions have been made in this debate, but I particularly wish to mention those from the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West (Margaret Ferrier) and my hon. Friends the Members for Heywood and Middleton (Chris Clarkson) and for South West Hertfordshire (Mr Mohindra), because they have illustrated very well the necessity of this Bill. [Interruption.] My hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Nickie Aiken) also deserves fulsome tribute—[Laughter.] And perhaps a Locket or a Tune to help her clear her throat!

The Bill is largely technical, but that does not alter its significance, because it will greatly improve the process of enforcing unpaid child maintenance. It is an example of how a Bill can bring the House together to help some of our most vulnerable families. I believe, as do the majority of people, that it is parents’ legal and—more importantly— moral duty to contribute financially to their child’s upbringing. It is completely right that absent parents honour their child maintenance payments and that, when they fail to do so, there is robust enforcement.

In our country, people should never see paying for their children as an optional extra, but according to the last set of published statistics, 872,000 children are covered by Child Maintenance Service arrangements. The service saw an increase in 25,700 children between June and September 2022. In that quarter, it was reported that 61,500 parents—36%—who should have paid via the collect and pay service paid no maintenance. As a father, I find that a scandalous state of affairs and I am sure that all hon. Members agree it should change.

There are only six clauses in the Bill, but I am sure that all right hon. and hon. Members will recognise its implications, as it will help to get much-needed money to children more quickly. The substance of the Bill is largely contained in clauses 2 to 4, with provision to make regulations that will ensure that the powers are used appropriately and provide parents with the opportunity to challenge the decision if they think it is wrong.

Clause 2 amends existing powers that, once commenced, allow the Secretary of State to make an administrative liability order where the paying parent has failed to pay an amount of child maintenance. They will be able to do so, however, only where a deduction from earnings is inappropriate or ineffective. It is hoped that that new power will prevent unnecessary overuse in cases where there are more suitable alternatives. Clause 3 broadens the capability created in clause 2 by allowing the liability order to be varied if, for example, the amount of arrears on which the liability order is based is subsequently found to have been incorrect or where investigations reveal further details about the paying parent’s finances. Clause 4 provides for appeals against liability orders to the first tier tribunal, and amends the route of appeal to allow a right of appeal to a court, and provides for consequential amendments. Clauses 5 and 6 relate to minor consequential amendments and the extent, commencement and short title of the Bill.

To conclude, it takes two to make a baby, so unless a parent is deceased, it is perfectly reasonable to expect two to pay for a baby. The Bill will help to ensure that that happens, so I am happy to support it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Gareth Bacon Excerpts

Monday 5th December 2022 Commons Chamber

[Gareth Davies (Grantham and Stamford) (Con)]

21. What progress his Department has made on increasing the number of people with disabilities in work.

[Gareth Bacon (Orpington) (Con)]

24. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's policies in helping people into work.

[The Minister for Employment (Guy Opperman)]

I have visited around 50 jobcentres, and this is an opportunity for me to thank the many disability employment advisers who do a fantastic job ensuring that we get disabled people into work. That figure is up 2 million since 2013, with nearly 5 million disabled people in work at the moment.

[Guy Opperman]

My hon. Friend is right that this is a landmark piece of legislation, and I praise him for raising it today. I pay similar tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox).

A range of Government initiatives are supporting those with Down’s syndrome to start, stay and succeed in work, including through increased work coach support. Disability employment advisers across the country have been tasked with tackling this precise problem, to enable people with Down’s syndrome to progress in work.

[Gareth Bacon]

Twenty-one per cent. of those aged between 16 and 64 are currently not in work or seeking work, at a time when the British Chambers of Commerce estimates there are 1.2 million unfilled jobs in the economy. What steps is the Department taking to ensure that those who are not in full-time education, and who might be a bit shy about coming back into the workplace, take steps to do so?

[Guy Opperman]

There is far too much for me to outline at the Dispatch Box, but I will write to my hon. Friend. I will also visit him in Orpington to set out in more detail the various things we are doing to tackle the vacancy list on many levels. He will be aware that the labour market has recovered strongly since 2020, with payroll employment up on pre-pandemic levels, but we accept there is more to do.