Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Hoban and Jesse Norman

Monday 1st July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hoban]

It depends on the information provided and if claimants are providing good-quality information through the ESA50, they can be referred without a face-to-face assessment. I would also point out that the proportion of people going into the support group has increased in recent times, particularly as a consequence of not using face-to-face assessments.

[Jesse Norman (Hereford and South Herefordshire) (Con)]

11. What steps he is taking to encourage jobcentres to work with local employers and voluntary organisations.

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Mr Mark Hoban)]

Jobcentre Plus has a national network of employer relationship and partnership staff whose task is to work collaboratively with voluntary organisations to support more people back to work and encourage and support employers to open up their vacancies to the unemployed.

[Jesse Norman]

I thank the Minister for that reply. Newton Farm community association in my constituency has signed up a number of high-profile local people from both the private and the public sectors to mentor unemployed people in Herefordshire. Will he join me in congratulating the association and commending that spirit of self-help and mutual support? Will he also consider ways in which the Government can use jobcentres to offer further support to that and similar mentoring programmes?

[Mr Hoban]

I can not only join in the congratulations but say that the local jobcentre has a positive relationship with the Newton Farm community association. We want to do more work with local organisations to encourage people into work, and we are keen to support them in any way we can.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Hoban and Jesse Norman

Tuesday 21st December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hoban]

The Government are totally united about the fact that we want banks to play their full role in the economic recovery by lending to businesses and recognising their wider social responsibilities.

[Jesse Norman (Hereford and South Herefordshire) (Con)]

May I remind the House that no hospital PFI contract was signed under the—[Interruption.]