Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 1123, what additional public funding has been made available to support businesses in the Thomas Cook supply chain; and by what mechanism will that funding be allocated.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Local partners are able to advise on support available locally to businesses in the Thomas Cook supply chain.
The Business Secretary has convened a special cross-government taskforce alongside local stakeholders to support employees, local stakeholders and supply chains. The taskforce is considering existing support schemes available and will also monitor local business impacts.
Additionally, the Rapid Response Service is helping people find a new job as soon as possible by offering tailored support, which may include:
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of Hays Travel on re-employment of former staff of Thomas Cook's headquarters.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Special Managers acting for the Official Receiver were in discussion with Hays Travel about the completed sale of all former Thomas Cook retail outlets.
It is a matter for Hays Travel to decide how many former Thomas Cook staff they will employ and where.
The National Taskforce for Thomas Cook will continue to work with Special Managers to ensure the best possible outcome for former Thomas Cook employees.
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2019 to Question 375 on Thomas Cook: Insolvency, how many permanent staff are based at Peterborough Jobcentre; and how many staff from neighbouring offices are working from Peterborough Jobcentre on a temporary basis to meet any increased demand on services since the collapse of Thomas Cook.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are 91 permanent staff based at Peterborough Jobcentre. The office received the help of 6 additional staff from around the District and neighbouring offices to meet increased demand. All but one returned to their offices last week. There is one person remaining who will return to their home department this week. In addition, overtime was granted to provide extra capacity to meet the demand from and provide support to former Thomas Cook employees.
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding from the public purse she is allocating to provide former employees of Thomas Cook with immediate financial assistance.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information is not available.
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will make new capital grant funding available to businesses in Peterborough to generate jobs after the collapse of Thomas Cook.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The National Taskforce for Thomas Cook aims to ensure support for employees and for the local economies most affected by the liquidation.
The Business Board of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, in partnership with Peterborough City Council, has developed a package of support for those affected locally which includes a dedicated advice service. This will support former employees with re-employment or with advice on starting a business of their own, and support businesses in a position to take on redundant employees. It will also provide advice and funding for businesses affected in the supply chain.
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will take steps to help ensure that the site of the former Thomas Cook headquarters in Peterborough is used to generate future employment.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Local partners, including Opportunity Peterborough and Peterborough City Council, are exploring how best to create future employment at the former Peterborough HQ site and secure future investment into the City, working with the Thomas Cook Trust Fund and local and national property agents.
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations she has received from Peterborough City Council for financial support for local welfare services following the collapse of Thomas Cook.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are working closely with Peterborough City Council through Opportunity Peterborough to deliver the support required. Our local team in Peterborough are monitoring all new claims to benefits to identify where the claimant is a former employee of Thomas Cook so that they quickly receive the right level of support.
The Department is offering a range of support to anyone affected by the closure of Thomas Cook, through our Rapid Response Service and wider DWP services. For example, a local provider is offering a series of workshops for former Thomas Cook employees to explain the support available to help them find a job. We are working with a wide range of employers to provide support to former employees of Thomas Cook.
Our team in Peterborough have provided staff to support with the organisation and delivery of two local jobs fairs, arranged by Thomas Cook and Opportunity Peterborough (part of Peterborough City Council). The Thomas Cook event was attended by around 850 former employees and over 100 former employees visited the DWP stand at the Opportunity Peterborough event.
As current resources are adequate for the need to be met there has been no request made by Peterborough City Council or by the Department for additional financial support.
We continue to work with Peterborough City Council to monitor the situation and consider further support as required.
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the availability of (a) apprenticeships and (b) re-training opportunities in Peterborough for former staff of Thomas Cook's headquarters.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
We are working to ensure that Thomas Cook apprentices who have been affected are supported to complete their apprenticeship. Apprentices who were previously at Thomas Cook and have any queries relating to their apprenticeship can email a dedicated enquiry mailbox: ThomasCook.QUERIES@education.gov.uk.
The Education Skills and Funding Agency is in touch with all the training providers who are supporting the apprentices across the country, including those in Peterborough, and we will continue to liaise with them on this matter. A number of employers in the sector and in related areas have already stepped forward to offer job opportunities to apprentices, including Hayes Travel that has bought the 555 Thomas Cook shops which will safeguard up to 2,500 jobs.
The National Careers Service will provide information, advice and guidance to help all former Thomas Cook staff with decisions on learning, training and work: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many requests the Insolvency Service has received for redundancy payments from Thomas Cook employees; and how many of those request were from head office employees.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service has received claims from 7,186 former Thomas Cook employees. 462 of these have specifically stated in their claim that Peterborough was their place of work, though it is not mandatory to do so.
Asked by: Lisa Forbes (Labour - Peterborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from Peterborough City Council for financial support following the collapse of Thomas Cook.
Answered by Jake Berry
I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 377 on 17 October 2019.