Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Skidmore Excerpts

Monday 11th March 2013 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Chris Skidmore (Kingswood) (Con)]

1. How many young people have received support through the Get Britain Working programme to date.

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Mr Mark Hoban)]

Between January 2011 and November 2012, about 106,000 young people aged between 18 and 24 received support through Get Britain Working, including work experience and sector-based work academies. Many young people have also benefited from the help offered through volunteering, and work and enterprise clubs.

[Chris Skidmore]

Job clubs and job fairs play an important role in the Get Britain Working scheme. In Kingswood, as the local Member of Parliament, I have organised four job fairs so far, as well as running a weekly job club. Does my hon. Friend agree that we as MPs have a vital role to play in Get Britain Working by organising job fairs and job clubs and getting our constituents back to work?

[Mr Hoban]

My hon. Friend is well known for his support for getting young people into work, and I commend him on the job club and job fairs that he has run. As a result of the collective effort between employers, Members of Parliament, Jobcentre Plus and others, youth unemployment today is lower than it was in May 2010.