Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to tackle the comparatively high rates of unemployment among adults from (a) Black and (b) Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic groups in each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
In 2015 the Government made a commitment to increase the level of ethnic minority employment by 20% by 2020. Since then, 556,000 more people from ethnic minority backgrounds are in employment, a 17% increase. The Black/African/Caribbean unemployment rate of 8.4% is the lowest it has been since this series began in 2001 as is the Pakistani and Bangladeshi unemployment rate of 7.7%.
We know there is more to do following the Race Disparity Audit in 2017 which revealed a gap in employment rates between ethnic minority groups and the overall population. The Department has been addressing this by maximising the effectiveness of our jobcentres and influencing the behaviour of employers in supporting ethnic minority jobseekers into employment.
For example, the Department identified 20 challenge areas across Great Britain to work with that have a large gap between ethnic minority and white employment rates. We have delivered mentoring circles in all 20 challenge areas which involve national employers offering specialised support to unemployed, ethnic minority jobseekers to help build their confidence and raise their aspirations. In January 2019, I announced that these mentoring circles will now be rolled out nationally from April 2019.
We also know from the Race Disparity Audit that gender matters, even more so for the Pakistani and Bangladeshi group, where employment rates for females is less than half of White groups. To help overcome this barrier, in September we started trialling a programme with Pakistani and Bangladeshi women in Birmingham. The women participated in workshops to explore the benefits of becoming work ready and the financial incentives for their families in taking up paid employment. We will use this learning to help determine how we can deliver similar programmes across the Jobcentre network in 2019.
[Figures are all based on averages from January 2018 – December 2018 (Labour Force Survey, ONS) for the UK.]
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the reasons for the increased number of economically inactive young women over the last 18 months; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Department has not made an assessment.
The Office for National Statistics use the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS) to provide estimates of employment, unemployment and inactivity in the UK. In July-September 2018, it is estimated that nearly 1.4 million 16-24 year-old women were economically inactive; with the majority (just over 1 million, and around 70%) of inactive 16-24 year-old women in full-time education.
Asked by: Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women aged between 60 and 65 are (a) unemployed and not in receipt of (i) a state pension and (ii) benefits and (b) in employment.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
There are 4.7 million women aged 50+ in the UK in employment and the number of older workers in employment is at a record high with 10.1 million workers aged 50+ in the UK; an increase of 1.4 million over the last 5 years. As part of the Flexible Working Lives Strategy, the Government committed to publishing Official Annual Statistics on older workers. These can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/economic-labour-market-status-of-individuals-aged-50-and-over-trends-over-time-september-2017
For the period Nov 2017 - Jan 2018, the UK unemployment level for women aged 50-64 is 126,000; this represents an unemployment rate of 2.9%.
The data requested on the unemployment level for females aged 60-64 cannot be provided due to the sample size of this group. The breakdown by receipt of state pension and benefits is not held.
In 2017, the UK employment level for females aged 60-64 was 821,000; this represents an employment rate of 45.2%.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many unemployed women with dependent children there were in England in each of the last 6 months.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not regularly publish data on unemployed women with dependent children, but in September 2017 it published the article “Families and the labour market, England: 2017” https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/familiesandthelabourmarketengland2017
This shows that there were 197,000 unemployed women with dependent children in England in April to June 2017 and that the employment rate for these women has increased by 6.3ppts since 2010.
Asked by: Gloria De Piero (Labour - Ashfield)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of women recorded as economically inactive who have achieved qualifications (i) up to and including KS4, (ii) at KS5 and (iii) in higher education in each year since 2010.
Answered by Rob Wilson
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many women have been unemployed in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 17 September 2012, Official Report, column 512W, on torture, what the result of the audit was; if she will publish the audit; what training requirements were identified by the audit; whether that training has been delivered; if she will publish the training materials; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
An audit of casework relating to reports made under Rule 35 of the Detention
Centre Rules 2001 began in April this year and will be completed in June. The
findings of the audit will be made available later in the summer and will be
used to identify good practice and areas for improvement.