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 effect on the level of unemployment in the Sheffield City Region of the Government's decision to pause the Early Integrated Employment Support pilot.

Following developments within the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, in particular some constituent members signalling that they no longer support the deal, the Government believes that the most sensible approach is to pause our work on the innovation pilot. This, we hope, will give further time for local issues to be considered and resolved, giving greater clarity on the future of the partnership and the extent of continuing local support for the pilot from all constituent members of the Combined Authority.

Despite taking the decision to pause this work, the Government remains fully committed to the Sheffield City Region devolution deal. Our main ambition is to work collaboratively to realise all elements of the devolution deal and to deliver the innovation pilot as soon as possible, once all partners have been able to recommit to the agreement.

We will keep this situation under close review with the hope that work on the innovation pilot can continue at the earliest viable opportunity.