Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support young people to pursue careers in the logistics sector.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP is working to make logistics a sector of choice for young people by promoting awareness and creating clear entry routes. We support Generation Logistics, an industry-led campaign match-funded by the Department for Transport to promote careers in the sector to young people and other underrepresented groups.
Campaigns like Generation Logistics aim to change perceptions and highlight opportunities in the industry, while partnerships with trade bodies such as Logistics UK and UKWA help strengthen employer engagement.
DWP also supports schools through its adviser network and collaborates with organisations like the Careers & Enterprise Company to build a talent pipeline. These efforts focus on attracting young people, women and underrepresented groups to address skills shortages and improve diversity in a traditionally male-dominated sector.
DWP is also a member of the Freight Workforce Group, chaired by the Department for Transport, which provides a forum to share evidence, align activity and support initiatives that strengthen the long-term supply of skilled workers into the sector. Guidance will soon be published by the Department for Transport to support employers with coordinating work experience and recruiting from hard-to-reach groups.
DWP is currently piloting Road to Logistics training in the East Midlands to raise aspirations particularly in young people and those in less advantaged communities.
More generally, this Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy. Further details of the announcement can be found in the Written Statement from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 8 December 2025 HCWS1137.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data he collects on employment retention for claimants supported by Jobcentre Plus.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to Parliamentary Question 99406.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 94070, when the independent investigation will be published.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
An independent investigation has been launched to tackle the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training.
Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, the review will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun.
The review will be taken forward in two distinct phases: a discovery phase; and a solution phase.
The discovery phase will conclude by Spring 2026, at which point the Author is expected to produce, and submit to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, an interim review.
The review will then continue into the solution phase, with the Chair providing a full and final review by Summer 2026.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential disparity in treatment between members of private sector defined benefit pension schemes and members of the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme following the introduction of indexation for pre-1997 service.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has brought forward legislation to introduce increases on compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme that relate to pensions built up before 6 April 1997. These will be CPI-linked (capped at 2.5%) and apply prospectively (i.e. to payments going forward). This will only apply for members whose former schemes provided for these increases and will therefore create greater equality between private sector defined benefit pension schemes who provide pre-97 indexation and members of the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme who had this feature in their original pension.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps with the Health and Safety Executive to review the level of criminal penalties and enforcement mechanisms for illegal gas work; and if the Health and Safety Executive will issue guidance to police on prioritising such cases.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) which address the safe installation, maintenance, and use of gas systems, in commercial and domestic premises. These regulations require that no employer or self-employed person shall carry out gas work without Gas Safe Registration. HSE and Local Authorities regulate this through enforcement powers set under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Enforcement powers available to regulators include prosecution, prohibition notices and improvement notices.
HSE will apply the principles laid down in the Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS), Enforcement Management Model (EMM) and internal gas procedures to ensure that enforcement action is proportional to the health and safety risks and the seriousness of the breach.
HSE cannot review the level of criminal penalties for illegal gas cases. The Health and Safety Sentencing Guidelines are set by the Sentencing Council. HSE and Local Authorities are the enforcing authorities under GSIUR and the police investigate homicide cases. Where a person dies because of illegal and/or poor-quality gas work; the police must decide whether a manslaughter offence has been committed, the priority given to the case is a matter for the investigating police force. Guidance is in place to support the HSE and police in the event of a fatal gas incident though the Work-Related Death Protocol.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish HSE enforcement data on illegal gas work, including (a) investigations, (b) prosecutions, (c) convictions, and (d) penalties imposed since 2020.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) which address the safe installation, maintenance, and use of gas systems, in commercial and domestic premises. These regulations require that no employer or self-employed person shall carry out gas work without Gas Safe Registration. HSE and Local Authorities regulate this through enforcement powers set under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Enforcement powers available to regulators include prosecution, prohibition notices and improvement notices.
HSE will apply the principles laid down in the Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS), Enforcement Management Model (EMM) and internal gas procedures to ensure that enforcement action is proportional to the health and safety risks and the seriousness of the breach.
HSE cannot review the level of criminal penalties for illegal gas cases. The Health and Safety Sentencing Guidelines are set by the Sentencing Council. HSE and Local Authorities are the enforcing authorities under GSIUR and the police investigate homicide cases. Where a person dies because of illegal and/or poor-quality gas work; the police must decide whether a manslaughter offence has been committed, the priority given to the case is a matter for the investigating police force. Guidance is in place to support the HSE and Police in the event of a fatal gas incident though the Work-Related Death Protocol.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the (a) number of gas jobs conducted annually by unqualified workers and (b) the proportion assessed as unsafe; and what proportion of unsafe gas works are linked to carbon monoxide leaks.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) which address the safe installation, maintenance, and use of gas systems, in commercial and domestic premises. Under GSIUR, gas engineering businesses must be registered with the Gas Safe Register (GSR) to carry out work covered by the Regulations legally. GSR runs the approved registration scheme for gas engineers on behalf of HSE and, as part of its remit, it ensures that all registered engineers have the appropriate qualifications to conduct gas work, and it conducts investigations into illegal gas work.
HSE has not made an estimate of the number of gas jobs conducted annually by unqualified workers, but it does have statistics for HSE enforcement notices for work carried out by unregistered gas fitters and GSR investigations into unregistered gas work.
In 2024/2025, 522 site investigations were carried out into unregistered gas work and those investigations identified 4548 immediately dangerous, at risk or not to current standard defects which were attributed to unregistered fitters. HSE issued 44 prohibition notices in relation to unregistered gas work against 42 businesses.
HSE is unable to provide figures for the proportion of unsafe gas works that were linked to carbon monoxide.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) introducing a national inventory registrar for gas‑critical products and parts and (b) restricting access to those items to operatives holding Gas Safe Register accreditation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 November 2025 to Question UIN 89028.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has plans for digital verification tools to confirm operative identity and competence at the point of purchase and installation of gas‑critical parts.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 November 2025 to Question UIN 89029.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of claimants who move into work via Jobcentre support who remain in work for more than six months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department has made no estimate of the proportion of claimants who move into work via Jobcentre support who remain in work for more than six months.
The Department monitors Jobcentre performance through an internal performance framework aligned with the priorities set out in Get Britain Working White Paper.
The Department recently published data on movements into work amongst people in the Universal Credit (UC) searching for work group - Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights October 2025 - GOV.UK.
We are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.