Young People and Work

Lord Bird Excerpts

Thursday 4th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I have already reminded noble Lords, given that we are talking about the Milburn report, what Alan Milburn actually said about the position with respect to national insurance contributions. I am disappointed that the noble Lord believes that this Government’s youth guarantee of £2.5 billion of investment—including a £3,000 youth jobs grant for every young person aged 18 to 24 who is hired across Great Britain and who has been looking for work for six months or more, available from next month—is somehow meaningless. It is really important, which is why I spend my time talking to employers about how this Government, alongside employers, can make the best use of the additional investment we are putting into ensuring that this is not a lost generation.

[Lord Bird (CB)]

My Lords—

[The Earl of Effingham (Con)]

My Lords—

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

We will hear from the Cross Benches, then the Conservative Benches.

[Lord Bird (CB)]

Is it possible for the Minister to explain to me this kind of scattergun effect? She says that it covers all departments—education and everything else—but why is there not a central office in government for the eradication of poverty? Only by bringing everyone’s energies together will we bring about change.

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The noble Lord and I have discussed his suggestion, both in this Chamber and in my office. I would not agree with his characterisation that is a scattergun approach. What we have is a cross-government recognition of the challenge of ensuring that young people can get into work or can learn in pathways that will lead them to satisfactory work. That requires action in schools to identify young people who will potentially become NEET. It requires action, which we are taking, in the welfare system. It requires action in the Department of Health to support young people’s mental health needs. It requires the youth strategy that this Government have already produced. That is not scattergun; it is consistent cross-government action to tackle this problem.