Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Western Excerpts

Monday 12th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Torcuil Crichton (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab)]

5. What steps he is taking to support employment in rural areas.

[The Minister for Employment (Andrew Western)]

The Government are supporting employment in rural areas through local Get Britain Working plans, a reformed jobs and careers service with expanded digital, phone and in-person support, and increased outreach through the flexible delivery network.

[Torcuil Crichton]

The Minister has been to my constituency and seen it for himself, so he knows about the challenges of administering and delivering benefits in the Western Isles, or Na h-Eileanan an Iar. The process could be made simpler if the verification of identity could be done virtually in some cases rather than requiring a home visit, which, for DWP staff, could involve travelling to other islands. The Minister also knows about the challenges posed by weather and the failed ferry system that we have inherited from the SNP. Will he consider changing the one-size-fits-all system of verifying claims and identities to take account of the rurality and the insularity of constituencies such as mine?

[Andrew Western]

I hope that I can give my hon. Friend some welcome news. The DWP does have several different ways to carry out identity verification for customers accessing our services in rural locations, including customers who are unable to access a jobcentre. It offers verification through our digital service, over the telephone or by postal delivery. If, as my hon. Friend says, that is not happening in his locality, I can tell him that there is an excellent team working out of the jobcentre in Stornoway, whom I have met. If they, or he, will let me know what is happening, I shall be happy to look into it for him.

[Priti Patel (Witham) (Con)]

Rural areas could create and support more jobs if they had the right transport infrastructure. Now that the Government have cancelled the A12 widening scheme, paused the dualling of the A120 and scrapped the A127 economic corridor in Essex, what will the Minister do to lobby his colleagues across Government to help support more rural job creation in Essex?

[Andrew Western]

The right hon. Lady will be aware that this Government are delivering an additional £120 billion of public spending to support improved infrastructure across the country. On her question about jobs in rural locations, this Government are taking the steps needed to support people into work—take the example of the agricultural sector, where there are over 22,000 more jobs than there were when her party left office.

[Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Lab)]

Meur ras, Mr Speaker. The number of young people claiming unemployment benefit in my Camborne, Redruth and Hayle constituency has risen by 26% in the last year alone—far higher than the national average. Can the Minister outline what employment action the Government are taking—particularly in remote coastal areas like mine, which has seen such a dramatic increase— to deal with the issue of young people claiming unemployment benefit?

[Andrew Western]

My hon. Friend raises a very important issue, which affects not just his constituency but the entire country. I recognise the specific concerns that he has about his locality, but also that these challenges are faced more broadly. I am delighted that the Government have brought forward the youth jobs grant, introduced the new £2,000 incentive for small and medium-sized enterprises that hire apprentices under the age of 25, and rolled out youth hubs across our country, but if there is more that he feels we could be doing in his area, I would be very happy to discuss that with him.

[Mr Speaker]

I call Jamie Stone—welcome back. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]

[Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)]

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I thank right hon. and hon. Members for the kind sentiments that I have received recently.

I am sure the Minister recognises that the lack of available or affordable housing is critical when it comes to rural employment. Indeed, on the west coast of my constituency—opposite the constituency of the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Torcuil Crichton)—we have almost none at all. Of course, housing is devolved to the Scottish Government, but could the Minister share best practice in England and Wales with those north of the border to see if we can do something about this problem?

[Andrew Western]

May I, too, welcome the hon. Gentleman back to his place?

I would be very happy to ask colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to share any best practice with their Scottish counterparts. This Government are investing £39 billion in the delivery of social and affordable homes because we recognise the issues that the hon. Gentleman sets out. The fundamental starting point for any good life is access to a good-quality, safe and secure home, and that is something we are committed to delivering.

[Danny Beales (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Lab)]

6. What steps he is taking to support young people into employment.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

8. What steps his Department is taking with the beauty industry to help provide accessible routes into employment and training for young people.

[The Minister for Employment (Andrew Western)]

The Government are determined to help more young people to build careers in sectors such as hair and beauty by investing an additional £2.5 billion through the youth guarantee and the growth and skills levy. Whether a young person chooses hair and beauty or another sector, we want them to have the skills, training and support they need to succeed, including through the funding of apprenticeship training costs for eligible under-25s who have started their apprenticeships since August this year.

[Dan Aldridge]

This week is British Beauty Week, a great opportunity to celebrate the fantastic and fast-growing beauty and wellness businesses that we have in this country, especially in towns such as Weston-super-Mare, where businesses like Sacred Willow, founded by Kerry and Simon Lamerton, and Luceo Lounge, founded by Lisa de-Laune, keep our high streets alive and our economies going, and generally make people feel much better about themselves. Will the Minister give some more information about the support his Department is providing, especially for young people through the youth guarantee, to ensure that small businesses in areas like mine benefit as much as possible?

[Andrew Western]

I welcome my hon. Friend’s support for British Beauty Week and join him in celebrating the local beauty and wellness businesses that are helping to drive growth and create opportunities for young people, particularly the two he has highlighted in his constituency. I encourage his local businesses to look at the incentives offered by not just the jobs component of the youth guarantee, but the youth jobs grant and the £2,000 payment to small and medium-sized enterprises that hire a young apprentice, all of which can support them in giving opportunities to young people in Weston-super-Mare and beyond.

[Vikki Slade (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

There has been a 30% reduction in the number of apprenticeships in the hair and beauty sector over the past five years, one reason being that the number of people employed has plummeted, with many people being forced into false self-employment due to increased costs. In addition, the number of providers working in the sector is at a critical level. My constituent Mike, who owns Mike Taylor Education with his wife Emily, told me of a young man travelling from Kent to Dorset every week to follow his level 2 barbering course, because there were no courses anywhere else. Will the Minister meet me and sector representatives to talk about how we could reverse this decline?

[Andrew Western]

Clearly, I would be very happy to meet the hon. Lady. That sort of distance is unfortunate, and I am sorry if that is the experience of her constituent or, indeed, their apprentice. As I say, I am very happy to meet her to discuss it further.

[Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)]

9. What assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring pension scheme surpluses in defined-benefit schemes to be used to improve pensions for members before surplus funds can be released to sponsoring employers.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Ranger (Wrexham) (Lab)]

19. What steps he is taking to help support the establishment of youth hubs.

[The Minister for Employment (Andrew Western)]

We are making strong progress expanding youth hubs across Great Britain, with delivery ahead of schedule, bringing the total number of youth hubs to 160. These hubs provide a single, community-based front door to joined-up employment, skills and wider support for young people. We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners to maintain momentum and support further expansion.

[Euan Stainbank]

In August, Falkirk became one of the first towns in Scotland to have a youth hub. Opened at the Falkirk campus of Forth Valley college—our primary local further education institute—it is visible evidence of our Labour Government’s investment in young people’s futures. Will the Minister join me on a visit to the youth hub and Forth Valley college, and will the Department re-engage with the Falkirk-based local training provider Powering Futures, whose model could deliver a preventive solution to youth unemployment but currently falls between the cracks of reserved and devolved competency?

[Andrew Western]

I thank my hon. Friend for his invitation and for highlighting the work of the Falkirk youth hub and its partners. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met with Powering Futures and is aware of the issues that he raises. My hon. Friend has been relentless in seeking support for this organisation, and I hope that the Scottish Government will think again and consider supporting the good work of Powering Futures with funding.

[Andrew Ranger]

For many of our young people, the hardest step towards obtaining work is the first one: walking into a jobcentre or youth hub and asking for support. Does the Minister agree that part of the approach of youth hubs, including the new hub in Wrexham, must be to reach those young people where they are, rather than waiting for them to come through the door?

[Andrew Western]

My hon. Friend is right. The whole purpose of youth hubs is to take support out of traditional settings and into communities, meeting young people where they are rather than expecting them to come to us. Through partnerships with local authorities, charities, colleges and other organisations, youth hubs such as the upcoming Wrexham youth hub will help us reach young people in their local communities who might otherwise miss out on support. We will continue to encourage all youth hubs to undertake proactive outreach and work with local partners to reach young people. I have seen excellent examples of that in the hubs I have visited thus far.

[Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater) (Con)]

Over the last two years, the Government have increased the cost of employing young people with higher national insurance charges on employers and imposed the 350 pages of additional regulation contained in their “unemployment rights Act”. Does the Minister agree that the best way of reducing youth unemployment is to cut the cost of employing young people rather than an endless array of hubs, grants, schemes and guarantees?

[Andrew Western]

I would agree with the hon. Gentleman, but then we would both be wrong. I attended a recent parliamentary event hosted by the Resolution Foundation, chaired by the former Tory Minister Lord Willetts, and the research it had undertaken was clear that cutting taxes was not as effective in delivering opportunities to get young people into work—[Interruption.] It was very clear that the targeting of employment support was much more effective than the approach the hon. Gentleman is suggesting. The shadow Secretary of State was there; she saw that. She may not have agreed with it—maybe that was because she did not stay until the end of the event—but none the less it was very clear that the best way to support young people into work is through employment support schemes, youth hubs and the routes that we are taking.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

Every local area should have a youth hub—the benefits are so very clear. The Minister is promising an expansion of youth hubs, so when can we see one in Bath?

[Andrew Western]

I would be happy to write to the hon. Lady to confirm specific timings in individual localities. We are ahead of projected delivery at the moment, having already hit more than 160 youth hubs, but we have a target of reaching more than 300 in the coming months and years. I will set out to her in writing plans for the youth hub that will serve her local area.

[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

--- Later in debate ---

[Alex Baker (Aldershot) (Lab)]

T2. Parents of neurodivergent young people in my community readily tell me about the barriers their children face in accessing work opportunities. I am delighted that a youth hub is opening in Aldershot and Farnborough this year, but how will the Government ensure that every young person in my community receives all the support they need as that hub opens?

[The Minister for Employment (Andrew Western)]

I welcome the plans for a youth hub in my hon. Friend’s constituency and thank her for the work she has done on campaigning for it. The core blueprint for youth hubs ensures that every hub provides access to employment support alongside mental health, housing skills and employer engagement, and aims to support all young people in a locality to address their barriers to work on an individual basis, including those with neurodivergent conditions.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

--- Later in debate ---

[Paul Davies (Colne Valley) (Lab)]

T3. Earlier this year, I met Benenden Health, a healthcare provider that offers support to women going through the menopause. Its research shows that 17% of women in Yorkshire who have experienced menopause symptoms have reduced their working hours, and that 7% have left their jobs due to these symptoms and a lack of support. In the light of this, will the Minister commit to assessing whether the menopause aspects of employer action plans are improving retention and reducing workforce exits among women experiencing menopause?

[Andrew Western]

We recognise the significant impact that menopause symptoms can have on retaining women in the workforce. That is why we launched evidence-informed action plans to help employers provide effective menopause support. We have published guidance to help employers monitor their progress, and we are committed to evaluating the impact of action plans, including through a post-implementation review.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

--- Later in debate ---

[Joe Powell (Kensington and Bayswater) (Lab)]

T5. I am delighted that North Kensington will soon be opening a youth hub to support young people back into work. One challenge that people tell me we have locally is hidden NEETs—those who might be enrolled in college and not attending, or not claiming universal credit—so can the Minister explain what expectation there will be for the youth hubs to reach this hard-to-reach cohort of young people?

[Andrew Western]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the challenge of hidden NEETs. Youth hubs are open to all young people aged 16 to 24, regardless of benefit status, and we expect them to work closely with local authorities, schools, colleges and community organisations to identify and engage young people who may be missing out on support. There is a particular challenge with hidden NEETs, and I expect that we will be able to bear down on that problem through such place-based intelligence sharing.

[Lisa Smart (Hazel Grove) (LD)]

T4. In answer to the earlier question from my hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron), the Minister confirmed that his ongoing review into parental leave and pay explicitly includes self-employed people. He will be aware of the gap whereby self-employed adopters are not eligible for the support for which birth parents and employed adopters are eligible. Is his review looking at closing that gap, so that potential future adopters are not prevented from growing their families and giving some of our most vulnerable young people the families they deserve?

--- Later in debate ---

[Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)]

T8. The Government’s recent investment in Connect to Work and the youth hub in Newport is welcome. Will the Minister assure my constituent, who raised with me the struggle her son, who is neurodiverse, has had in finding support into work, that these initiatives will be long-term, meaningful commitments?

[Andrew Western]

I can give my hon. Friend that reassurance. The Government are investing an additional £2.5 billion in the youth guarantee, which includes funding for youth hubs and the growth and skills levy by 2029, supporting almost 1 million young people and creating up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. Connect to Work, which will support around 300,000 people, is intended to run until March 2030, with multi-year grant agreements to support long-term local planning and delivery.

[Aphra Brandreth (Chester South and Eddisbury) (Con)]

T6. I recently met Lesley and her adult daughter Alice, who has profound disabilities and requires two carers around the clock. Lesley loves caring for her daughter, but she is finding it increasingly difficult to recruit skilled carers, leaving her filling exhausting gaps and unable to earn a living. What is the Minister doing to ensure that families like Lesley’s receive the support that they desperately need?