Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet the plastics manufacturing industry to discuss upskilling and the training of existing employees.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and ministers often meet with stakeholders regarding a range of matters. We are currently focusing our skills plans on the Government Priority sectors aligned to the industrial strategy which focuses on eight priority sectors.
We continue to engage with industry to support the upskilling and training of employees. The reforms set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper support adult skills training for industries across our economy through the Growth Skills Levy, which received an additional £725m of investment at Budget 2025, the Adult Skills Fund, and the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) which will be available from academic year 2026/27.
Government provides a range of support that can help employers develop their workforce including apprenticeships, the growth and skills levy and free courses for jobs. In addition, Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) and the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) can bring significant benefits to existing employees. HTQs can help employees move into higher-paying technical or managerial roles without needing a full degree. The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) allows employees to access funding for these courses flexibly over their lifetime, reducing financial barriers.
Asked by: Connor Rand (Labour - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the child poverty taskforce will examine food insecurity.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are committed to tackling poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels.
Our Ministerial Taskforce, jointly chaired Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has started urgent work on an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy and will explore all available levers to drive forward actions across government to reduce child poverty, tackle its root causes and give every child the best start in life. The Strategy will be published in Spring 2025.
We have already spoken to food poverty experts at a roundtable hosted by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 30th July, to understand the priorities in this area.
Alongside the Child Poverty Taskforce, our initial steps to support families and children include free breakfast clubs in every primary school, so children don’t go hungry, protecting renters from arbitrary eviction and banning exploitative zero hours contracts. Good work will be the foundation of our approach and the New Deal for Working People will ensure the minimum wage is a genuine living wage, and reformed employment support will mean that many more people will benefit from the dignity and purpose of employment.