Milburn Review: Interim Report Debate
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Peter Bedford
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Milburn Review: Interim Report
Peter Bedford Excerpts(1 week, 3 days ago)
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Mr Peter Bedford (Mid Leicestershire) (Con)
As the report highlights, the number of NEETs is set to rise to 1.25 million over the next five years unless something is done. The Government need to listen to the wealth creators that create the jobs that so many of our young people need. Alan Milburn’s report says that 84% of young people really do want to get a job, education or training, but the policies of this Government are making that even harder. Given that the Government are looking for a reset moment, perhaps over the summer, will the Minister ask his Cabinet colleagues to look again at the increases in national insurance and business rates, and at repealing the most damaging aspects of the Employment Rights Act, which are doing so much damage to the life prospects of our young people?
Andrew Western
The hon. Gentleman has elevated me to Cabinet level—something that is at least premature, if not unlikely ever to happen, I suspect. I refer him to the Milburn report, because it sounds as if he has not read it. It states that
“the UK’s NEET crisis is much more long-term and deep-seated than any decisions taken in the last few years.”
Making particular reference to national insurance, it states that
“it is worth remembering that those under 21 remain exempt from employer NICs and, as the review has already highlighted, the increase in youth inactivity long precedes any recent changes to NICs.”