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Written Question
Employment and Training
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)

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 implications for her policies of the debate entitled The future of work is here…, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 14 October 2022.

Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury

The UK is committed to the protection and promotion of social rights. The UK has ratified the 1961 European Social Charter (ESC), the European Code of Social Security and numerous other international social rights instruments. The UK is fully committed to all of the Council of Europe instruments it has signed up to and engages constructively on the future of the world of work and the labour market at the Council of Europe.

The UK Government has conducted its own review on the ‘Future of Work’ led by the hon. member for Boston and Skegness at the request of the previous Prime Minister. This review concluded in August 2022. The Government is considering the review’s recommendations.

The recommendations from this report will be sent to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in due course for appropriate review following the ‘The future of work is here…’ debate of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Written Question
Equality: Europe
Wednesday 20th October 2021

Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)

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 implications for her policies of the debate that took place at the Council of Europe on 28 September 2021 on socio-economic inequalities in Europe.

Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)

The UK is committed to the protection and promotion of social rights. The UK has ratified the 1961 European Social Charter (ESC), the European Code of Social Security and numerous other international social rights instruments. The UK is fully committed to all of the Council of Europe instruments it is Party to and engages constructively in work on socio-economic inequalities at the Council of Europe.

The UK Government is taking important steps to reduce inequalities and levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom, particularly as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. We have launched a suite of employment support schemes, significant investments in skills, training and apprenticeships, and Universal Credit has played a crucial and effective role in protecting the most vulnerable.

The Department for Work and Pensions is continuously reviewing its policies on socio-economic inequalities to ensure that no one and no community is left behind.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 13 Sep 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"9. What support her Department provides to older jobseekers looking to reskill or change careers. ..."
John Howell - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 13 Sep 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"One thing that concerns me is how we can boost the technical skills that older people learn. What is the Department doing in that respect?..."
John Howell - View Speech

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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 23 Jul 2019
Child Maintenance Service

"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. For the past four to five years, I have been the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on alternative dispute resolution. I am also an associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, with a professional interest in mediation. I …..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 23 Jul 2019
Child Maintenance Service

"The hon. Gentleman makes a perfectly legitimate case for the sort of example that he gives. I agree that speed is of the essence in dealing with these things, but the CMS has simply brushed over some cases. The system has not been fully explained to either party so that …..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 21 May 2019
Arthritis and Employment

"It is not just about struggling at home. About a quarter of people with disabilities who are employed said that they did not get the right sort of support: their employers had not got advice from Access to Work to try to make their lives easier. Does my hon. Friend …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 06 Mar 2019
Social Security and Employment Support for Disabled People

"I produced a list of things that had gone wrong in the claims procedures of my constituents, and I provided it to the Secretary of State’s predecessor to help her to shape these reforms. Will the Minister undertake to dig that paper out and have a look at it, and …..."
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 06 Feb 2019
Pensions Dashboard

"Is it not true that we need to get the governance of the pensions dashboard correct? We have just seen that a hotel booking website has had to end its misleading sales activities. Is there a risk that without the right level of governance, something similar could happen to the …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 08 Jan 2019
Universal Credit: Managed Migration

"Does my hon. Friend agree that, in my constituency, which neighbours his, our feedback on universal credit has been generally positive, and would he accept my appreciation for the positive response that he and his colleagues have given to me when I have raised implementation problems with him as we …..."
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