Oral Answers to Questions

Blake Stephenson Excerpts

Monday 8th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Blake Stephenson (Mid Bedfordshire) (Con)]

3. What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training.

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Pat McFadden)]

When this Government came to power, we inherited a situation in which almost 1 million young people were not in education, employment or training. As we have said, the number rose by 50% in the last few years of the Conservatives’ time in government, and they did nothing about it. That is why we are acting. In the Budget we announced a youth guarantee, with £820 million of investment, to offer hope where previously there was only Tory neglect.

[Blake Stephenson]

About 1,200 people in my constituency are not in education, employment or training. With two job-destroying Budgets and the Employment Rights Bill on the horizon, does the Minister really understand the concerns of my constituents, who feel that this Government are simply making it so much harder for young people to find work and get on the career ladder?

[Pat McFadden]

If the hon. Gentleman cared about young people and opportunity, he might regret the fact that there was a 40% decline in young people’s apprenticeships over the last decade, when his party were in power. As well as the introducing the youth guarantee, we have brough forward £725 million more in investment for apprenticeships—again, to provide hope where there was previously Tory neglect.