Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of unemployment on young people.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.
This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training rose by 250,000. We know that unemployment can have a negative impact on young people – on their health, earnings, and future employment prospects. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to the full recommendations in the Autumn.
Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to get young people into (a) training and (b) employment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.
This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training rose by 250,000. We know that unemployment can have a negative impact on young people – on their health, earnings, and future employment prospects. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to the full recommendations in the Autumn.
Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to tackle the causes of youth unemployment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.
This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training rose by 250,000. We know that unemployment can have a negative impact on young people – on their health, earnings, and future employment prospects. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to the full recommendations in the Autumn.
Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the potential impacts of bycatch on marine species.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Working in partnership with the fishing industry, academics, and eNGOs, Defra fund a range of initiatives including: continuation of the long-standing Bycatch Monitoring Programme (BMP) which reports annually on bycatch rates analysed by gear type; the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme (CSIP) that closely monitors UK-wide cetacean strandings and conducts post-mortems on stranded marine mammals; the Clean Catch programme which works with fisheries in England to develop and trial ways to gather data on and mitigate the bycatch of sensitive marine species; a comprehensive evidence review analysing bycatch across sensitive marine species (cetaceans, seabirds, seals, elasmobranchs); continuation of funding the Cefas fisheries observer programme; and collaborating with stakeholders to develop a seabird bycatch action plan for England.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of local authority powers to tackle antisocial drug taking.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps the powers available to local authorities and other partners to tackle anti-social behaviour under regular review. We consider the current framework provides a broad and flexible toolkit to tackle to anti-social drug misuse.
It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence, and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a Class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
The Government is taking a range of actions to tackle anti-social drug misuse, including cannabis. We are providing more visible, community-focused policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Increase Grant, which will deliver 13,000 additional policing personnel into neighbourhood roles, and introducing Respect Orders to strengthen the powers available to police and other agencies. Every police force also now has a published anti-social behaviour plan and a dedicated lead.
The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of flexible powers to respond to anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse. These include the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, such as the Closure Power, which can be used to shut down premises associated with nuisance or disorder. In addition, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers may enter a property without a warrant to arrest a person for an indictable offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe the person is on the premises.
The use of such powers is an operational matter for the police and must be exercised in a lawful, necessary and proportionate manner in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing policing powers to tackle antisocial drug smoking.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps the powers available to local authorities and other partners to tackle anti-social behaviour under regular review. We consider the current framework provides a broad and flexible toolkit to tackle to anti-social drug misuse.
It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence, and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a Class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
The Government is taking a range of actions to tackle anti-social drug misuse, including cannabis. We are providing more visible, community-focused policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Increase Grant, which will deliver 13,000 additional policing personnel into neighbourhood roles, and introducing Respect Orders to strengthen the powers available to police and other agencies. Every police force also now has a published anti-social behaviour plan and a dedicated lead.
The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of flexible powers to respond to anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse. These include the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, such as the Closure Power, which can be used to shut down premises associated with nuisance or disorder. In addition, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers may enter a property without a warrant to arrest a person for an indictable offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe the person is on the premises.
The use of such powers is an operational matter for the police and must be exercised in a lawful, necessary and proportionate manner in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle cannabis use.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps the powers available to local authorities and other partners to tackle anti-social behaviour under regular review. We consider the current framework provides a broad and flexible toolkit to tackle to anti-social drug misuse.
It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence, and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a Class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
The Government is taking a range of actions to tackle anti-social drug misuse, including cannabis. We are providing more visible, community-focused policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Increase Grant, which will deliver 13,000 additional policing personnel into neighbourhood roles, and introducing Respect Orders to strengthen the powers available to police and other agencies. Every police force also now has a published anti-social behaviour plan and a dedicated lead.
The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of flexible powers to respond to anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse. These include the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, such as the Closure Power, which can be used to shut down premises associated with nuisance or disorder. In addition, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers may enter a property without a warrant to arrest a person for an indictable offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe the person is on the premises.
The use of such powers is an operational matter for the police and must be exercised in a lawful, necessary and proportionate manner in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his department has made of the potential impact of bycatch on marine wildlife.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To assess bycatch and the impacts on marine species, Defra continues to fund a range of monitoring initiatives such as the Bycatch Monitoring Programme which reports annually on bycatch rates analysed by gear type, the Cefas fisheries observer programme, and the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme (CSIP) that closely monitors UK-wide cetacean strandings and conducts post-mortems on stranded marine mammals. Defra has also commissioned the Bycatch Risk Prioritisation Framework, which is a comprehensive evidence review analysing bycatch across sensitive marine species (cetaceans, seabirds, seals, elasmobranchs).
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to increase policing powers to help tackle cannabis smoking within homes.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps the powers available to local authorities and other partners to tackle anti-social behaviour under regular review. We consider the current framework provides a broad and flexible toolkit to tackle to anti-social drug misuse.
It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence, and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a Class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
The Government is taking a range of actions to tackle anti-social drug misuse, including cannabis. We are providing more visible, community-focused policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Increase Grant, which will deliver 13,000 additional policing personnel into neighbourhood roles, and introducing Respect Orders to strengthen the powers available to police and other agencies. Every police force also now has a published anti-social behaviour plan and a dedicated lead.
The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of flexible powers to respond to anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse. These include the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, such as the Closure Power, which can be used to shut down premises associated with nuisance or disorder. In addition, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers may enter a property without a warrant to arrest a person for an indictable offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe the person is on the premises.
The use of such powers is an operational matter for the police and must be exercised in a lawful, necessary and proportionate manner in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with the cost of adult training courses.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are investing in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), spending £1.4 billion in the 2025/26 academic year. The ASF fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support them to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning, with the aim to in particular support adults with low earnings or skills, whether they are in or out of work.
As of August 2025, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to providers. For learners in Ashfield, the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) decides how to make best use of their ASF to meet their local needs beyond four statutory entitlements, including which courses are funded and the eligibility criteria. By honouring our commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas.