Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will adopt the definition of full employment used in the Europe 2020 strategy to define full employment in the UK.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
The full employment clause in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill places a duty on the Secretary of State to lay a report before Parliament detailing progress towards full employment. The first annual report will set out the interpretation of full employment.
It would not be appropriate to use the Europe 2020 strategy as the basis for defining full employment, as the UK employment rate for those aged 20-64, which currently stands at 76.5%, has already exceeded the target recommended in that report.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures he plans to use to assess progress towards full employment.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
The full employment clause in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill places a duty on the Secretary of State to lay a report before Parliament detailing progress towards full employment. The first annual report will set out the interpretation of full employment.
It would not be appropriate to use the Europe 2020 strategy as the basis for defining full employment, as the UK employment rate for those aged 20-64, which currently stands at 76.5%, has already exceeded the target recommended in that report.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to meet the four targets for eradicating child poverty as set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
We know work is the best route out of poverty, and this Government is committed to supporting parents to move into work, increase their earnings, and keep more of what they earn.
We have repeatedly said that the Child Poverty Act does not address the root causes of poverty and focuses only on the symptoms. That is why we have set out proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill which provide a new way to drive effective action and make a real difference in the lives of poor children – both now and in the future.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of children experiencing material deprivation in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Estimates of the number and proportion of children in combined low income and material deprivation are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series.
Figures for combined low income and material deprivation have been published in HBAI since 2004/05 and are available up to 2013/14.
The latest publication is available at the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-19941995-to-20132014
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
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 number of people who would remain unemployed when full employment is achieved under (a) the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment, (b) the definition of full employment set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy, (c) the definition of full employment as the highest employment rate in the G7 and (d) the definition of full employment as the lowest rate of unemployment in the G7.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
The UK already has an employment rate above the aim set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy. Estimates of the Non Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment have been made by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Estimates of the level of unemployment under other scenarios are not available as this depends on a variety of factors including the size of the population at the time that position is reached and how those not in work are split between unemployed and economically inactive.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2015 to Question 6479, if he will make it his policy to collect such data in future.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
There are no plans to collate such information.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
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 number of 18 to 21 year olds in Copeland constituency that will no longer be entitled to housing benefit following measures announced in the Summer Budget 2015.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The information requested is not available.
To prevent young people slipping straight into a life on benefits, from April 2017 the Government will remove the automatic entitlement to housing support for new claims in Universal Credit from 18-21 year olds who are out of work. This will ensure young people in the benefits system face the same choices as young people who work and who may not be able to afford to leave home.
We will ensure that vulnerable young people who are in need of support for their housing needs continue to receive it. Government will consider the impact in line with our legal obligations as part of that process.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what forecast his Department has made of the likelihood of fewer than five per cent of children living in material deprivation and low income by 2020-21.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
This Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improving life chances.
We know work is the best route out of poverty, and this Government is committed to supporting parents to move into work, increase their earnings, and keep more of what they earn.
We have repeatedly said that the Child Poverty Act does not address the root causes of poverty and focuses only on the symptoms. That is why we have set out proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill which provide a new way to drive effective action and make a real difference in the lives of poor children – both now and in the future.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Copeland constituency participated in the Work Programme scheme in each of the last three years.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Information on the number of Work Programme referrals, attachments and job outcomes to March 2015 by various geographies, including parliamentary constituencies, is published at:
http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html
Guidance for users can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) England, (b) Cumbria and (c) Copeland receive employment and support allowance in the work-related activity group.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
The information available for the number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants by phase of claim and geography is published and can be found at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp.
Guidance for users is available at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp.