Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help fill gaps in the UK employment market.

We have comprehensive support in place to help DWP claimants to find, progress and stay in work, with additional support for groups we know are more likely to be inactive, such as those aged 50+ and people with a disability.

We are looking to identify and understand the barriers preventing people from joining the workforce and/or resulting in people leaving the workforce early. Some of these people will not be able to work and it is right that government continues to support them; but there will be others who with the right engagement can be supported into the labour market.