Dan Tomlinson
Main Page: Dan Tomlinson (Labour - Chipping Barnet)Department Debates - View all Dan Tomlinson's debates with the Department for Work and Pensions
(2 days, 6 hours ago)
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Dan Tomlinson (Chipping Barnet) (Lab)
I thank the Secretary of State for all the work on these important issues. I am aware that we are close to the end of the debate, so I will raise just one issue.
A small business owner in my constituency of Chipping Barnet in north London told me about the way the jobcentre failed to support people into work when the previous Government were in charge. It is encouraging to see what is coming forward in the White Paper, but the small business owner, whose name is Simon, told me how he had advertised some jobs in his company. He and his team spent seven hours going through lots of issues with 80 applicants, all of whom were referred by the jobcentre but none of whom had any desire to take up the job. They were applying because they were being forced to do so by the work coaches in the jobcentres in those 10-minute appointments.
I am happy that the Government have set out proposals in the White Paper—there will be more to come soon in the Green Paper—to help people who want to work to find jobs that are right for them, and to help employers to get good matches to improve productivity and growth in this country.