Youth Unemployment

Ayoub Khan Excerpts

Tuesday 17th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Pat McFadden]

Yes, of course. I want to work with the Scotland Office, the Scottish Government and anyone who can make an impact. I visited the Bellshill jobcentre in central Scotland just before Christmas. I was told by the area manager that over 40% of the young people on her caseload were on what was called the “health journey”. That should bring us up short. It should tell us and warn us about the stickiness and the long-term effects of a young person being off long-term on sickness benefits. We have to do more to get opportunity to those young people and help them into work. I hope the package I have brought forward today can help us to do that.

[Ayoub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr) (Ind)]

Across the west midlands, around 29,000 young people are unemployed, with unemployment rates in parts of Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Walsall running at double the national average. I welcome the measures announced today, but how will the Government ensure they reach young people in high unemployment areas such as Birmingham Perry Barr, where approximately 2,000 young people are unemployed, rather than resources being spread thinly across the counties and the country?

[Pat McFadden]

Obviously, I know the west midlands well and I know the passion that our Mayor, Richard Parker, has for expanding opportunity, offering more skills and more opportunities to young people. I work closely with him on that agenda. I do not believe we should set area against area. Of course I am concerned about youth unemployment in the west midlands. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that his constituents and mine, and those in every other constituency in the west midlands, can benefit from the proposals I have brought forward today.