Oral Answers to Questions

Michael Ellis Excerpts

Monday 13th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

7. What assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the most recent employment statistics.

[Michael Ellis (Northampton North) (Con)]

14. What assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the most recent employment statistics.

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Esther McVey)]

The latest employment statistics, which show a record number of people in work and falling unemployment, demonstrate that our policies are working.

--- Later in debate ---

[Michael Ellis]

Youth unemployment in my constituency has fallen by 25.6% in the last 12 months alone thanks to this Government. I organise a job fair every year, and last year more than 2,000 people came through the doors, many of them wanting to swap jobs. Thanks to the Government, things are moving very much in the right direction. Meanwhile, the Government are expanding the new enterprise allowance scheme, which is designed to improve young people’s entrepreneurial skills. What is the Minister’s assessment of how that is going?

[Esther McVey]

My hon. Friend is another Conservative Member who is doing a great deal in his area. He has got together 2,000 people from his local community—job seekers and businesses—and has found everyone work. He is right: youth unemployment has fallen by 28% over the year, and long-term youth unemployment in his area has fallen by 26%. The new enterprise allowance scheme is expanding—2,000 young people have already set up businesses in that way—and we are investing more money by extending the scheme until December 2015.