Employment: Young People

Debate between Baroness Byford and Lord Freud

Wednesday 5th February 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Byford]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Youth Contract in helping young people into employment.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con)]

My Lords, the Youth Contract builds on the support already available from Jobcentre Plus to help young people get back into work. Our approach is working. The number of young people claiming jobseeker’s allowance has fallen for the 19th consecutive month.

[Baroness Byford (Con)]

My Lords, that is indeed good news. Does my noble friend recognise the contribution that voluntary youth organisations, particularly armed services cadet forces, play in the development of young people and in preparing them for the work ahead? Can he tell us what the assessment is of long-term youth unemployment in this country?

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, one of the most serious problems that we inherited was around long-term youth unemployment; that was structural rather than cyclical. The measures that we have been taking are to get the education and training base for youngsters right. As I have told noble Lords in the past, I thought that the Alison Wolf report on dealing with this issue was most remarkable. We are pushing that through at every level.