Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on the applicability of the Kickstart scheme to employment in offices of Members of Parliament.

Engagement with stakeholders has been a vital part of developing the Kickstart Scheme. Throughout the rapid policy development phase, we have engaged with over 300 individual stakeholders and/or stakeholder organisations. This includes employers and business representative organisations, local and regional representatives, devolved administrations, and third sector organisations. Following the launch, we will continue to engage with organisations and reach out to those not yet consulted, such as the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, in order to encourage a wide range of delivery partners to support the scheme and make it a success.