Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Mak Excerpts

Monday 7th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[Priti Patel]

Ministers in the Department and the Secretary of State will be very happy to visit the hon. Lady’s constituency and, importantly, speak about the Government’s record in supporting people in getting back to work.

[Mr Alan Mak (Havant) (Con)]

10. What support his Department provides to young people seeking work.

[Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)]

12. What support his Department provides to young people seeking work.

[The Minister for Employment (Priti Patel)]

Tackling youth unemployment is a priority for this Government. We are determined that young people should not slip into a life on benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions provides a broad range of additional support for young people over and above the standard Jobcentre Plus offer, and that support is tailored to their needs.

[Mr Mak]

I thank the Minister for that answer. There have been nearly 4,000 new apprenticeship starts since 2010 in my constituency, where the economy is strong and growing. Does she agree that this Government’s efforts to increase both the number and the quality of apprenticeships is critical to improving Britain’s competitiveness in the world and to getting Britain back to work with more jobs and improving pay?

[Priti Patel]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Interestingly, notwithstanding the Government’s well-known track record on apprenticeships and the number of people across the country who have benefited from our apprenticeship scheme, the subject was discussed at the G20 last week, and other countries are now looking at our scheme to see the positive benefits it has had on our young people.