Employment: Job Creation

Debate between Lord Freud and Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Wednesday 16th December 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

We have seen today a series of records on employment—but the most important part of those is how we are beginning to see real inroads among the people who have been excluded from the economic life of the country. The number of children in workless households and the number of workless households are the lowest on record, and the number of workless households in the social rented sector is the lowest on record. Lone parent employment is at a record high—and an important measure, economic inactivity, is now at the lowest rate since 1991.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

The Minister gave us the figures in raw terms as 350,000 in the UK and 1.8 million across the EU as a whole, but can he give us the figures as a percentage of the population of working age?

[Lord Freud]

I shall have to write to the noble Baroness, as that is quite a detailed question.

Welfare: Cost of Family Breakdown

Debate between Lord Freud and Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Tuesday 4th March 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, it is vital that people get into work where they can. That is the only way to solve poverty in the long term. We have managed to get more families into work—under this Government, 300,000 more have gone into work. I should also point out that fewer families with children are in poverty under this Government. That figure has gone down by 100,000 since we came in.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, in answering my noble friend Lady Sherlock, the noble Lord was unequivocal that the Government do not have targets on sanctions. Will he, therefore, instruct government offices which have charts on their walls, such as my noble friend Lady Sherlock described in asking her question, to take them down?

[Lord Freud]

If it is established that there are charts of that nature, I will instruct them to be taken down.

Young People: NEET

Debate between Lord Freud and Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Tuesday 29th November 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, we are tackling this in a serious way. It is a very complicated issue, but the trick is to understand what has to be done to help youngsters. Only four things help youngsters: educational qualifications, apprenticeships, a job or work experience. We are trying to boost those elements massively in our youth contract.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean]

My Lords, the Minister will have heard it said this morning that applications from young people to be students at university next year have fallen by 16 per cent. He has just mentioned the importance of qualifications for young people. Can he tell us why he thinks those applications have fallen by 16 per cent?

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, one effect of increased fees at universities is that youngsters realise the relative attraction of apprenticeships.

Benefits: EU Nationals

Debate between Lord Freud and Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Monday 7th November 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

I have already made my position on that absolutely clear.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean]

My Lords, everybody has sympathy with a Minister when they are taken off brief, but does the Minister understand that, in this House, he answers not just for his department but for the Government? I think we would all be grateful if he would undertake to give the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, an answer, perhaps in written form at a later date. Is the Minister aware that he is accountable to this House and that, when he is asked a question which is reasonable, it is not up to him to say that he is just not going to answer it?

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, my responsibility is to answer questions in this particular area, which I am very happy to do. If noble Lords have a question in this area, I will be delighted to answer it.