Oral Answers to Questions

Greg Smith Excerpts

Monday 14th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Tom Hunt (Ipswich) (Con)]

What steps her Department is taking with employers to help ensure as many young people as possible benefit from the Kickstart scheme.

[Greg Smith (Buckingham) (Con)]

What steps her Department is taking with employers to help ensure as many young people as possible benefit from the Kickstart scheme.

[Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)]

What steps her Department is taking with employers to help ensure as many young people as possible benefit from the Kickstart scheme.

--- Later in debate ---

[Greg Smith]

I warmly welcome the kickstart scheme, which is a vital step to ensuring the future prosperity of so many young people across our country. In Buckinghamshire, organisations such as Buckinghamshire Business First are helping to co-ordinate firms that cannot offer as many as 30 places. What steps is my hon. Friend taking at national level to ensure that small rural businesses are able fully to participate?

[Mims Davies]

I am delighted with the interest in the kickstart scheme across the country, including in rural areas, and including smaller companies in that is key. We want applicants from across the country to benefit by bidding for those placements , perhaps via an intermediary or gateway organisation. Small employers, whether rural or not, will have the key support they need from that intermediary, and that will help to create high-quality roles and provide additional support, so that all our young people get the most out of this placement.