Nick Smith
Main Page: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney)Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.
Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Greg Clark
My hon. Friend knows that coastal cities have been a particular focal point for the Government. As a considerable presence in his area, he will want to encourage his authority to make use of some of the powers that are generally available. It is right to recognise the importance of cities and what they can do, but one of the contributions that they can make is to revive the prosperity of areas even outside the city boundaries, and I am sure that that will be the case in and around the Humber.
Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)
May I press the Minister on the point that local authorities should surely be included in the Work programme? They could play a great part in helping people to get jobs.
Greg Clark
The document makes an explicit proposal that local authorities should be able to participate in the Work programme. It is relevant for them to be able to bring local insights to bear, the better to get people from welfare into work.