Oral Answers to Questions

Ellie Reeves Excerpts

Thursday 5th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)]

10. What job vacancies in the Prime Minister's Office are being advertised.

[The Minister without Portfolio (Ellie Reeves)]

There are currently four vacancies in the Prime Minister’s office that are being advertised. These roles are all advertised across the civil service or externally. The House will also have seen that the Prime Minister announced the appointment of Sir Chris Wormald as the new Cabinet Secretary earlier this week. I am sure the whole House will join me in congratulating him on his appointment.

[Lincoln Jopp]

I personally would be delighted to welcome the new Cabinet Secretary to his role. I thank the Minister for her answer, but in her list I did not hear her say whether the Cabinet Office is hiring a new Prime Minister’s envoy to the nations and regions, to carry out the vital work that was about to be done by Sue Gray when she decided not to take the job. Is the Cabinet Office hiring another person to undertake that role?

[Ellie Reeves]

The hon. Gentleman seems to have a curious interest in jobs at No. 10. If he is considering a career change, I would be very happy to have a private word with him.

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

15. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reform public services.

--- Later in debate ---

[Gill German (Clwyd North) (Lab)]

T4.   This Government have rightly made tackling child poverty a top priority. Of course, this is not a children problem but a society problem, so I welcome the cross-Departmental approach that has been taken. Last week, the “Get Britain Working” White Paper was published. Does my hon. Friend agree that helping people, particularly parents, into decent, well-paid jobs is a key part of that agenda?

[The Minister without Portfolio (Ellie Reeves)]

It is shameful that child poverty increased by 700,000 under the last Government. Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission. The child poverty taskforce, which I sit on, will publish its strategy in the spring. Increasing the number of parents who are working, and their earnings and hours, plays a crucial role and that is why our plans to get Britain working and the Employment Rights Bill are important in tackling the scourge of child poverty.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.