Milburn Review: Interim Report Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Work and Pensions
Sonia Kumar
Main Page: Sonia Kumar (Labour - Dudley)Department Debates - View all Sonia Kumar's debates with the Department for Work and Pensions
(1 week, 2 days ago)
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Andrew Western
I hope the hon. Gentleman appreciates that Milburn reported on Thursday, and recommendations from that report will not come for several months, but this is an important point and we will need a structure in place. I am committed to ensuring that this is a whole-of-Government intervention, but for the moment it is important to take time to get that right.
Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)
Dudley has one of the highest levels of NEETs in the country, and the highest levels of deprivation. After my NEETs roundtable in February, stakeholders wanted better data, joined-up services with the Departments for Work and Pensions, of Health and Social Care, and for Education, and better SEND provision locally. What guarantees will my hon. Friend provide to ensure that places such as Dudley are prioritised, and the root causes of inequality are tackled holistically?
Andrew Western
I can assure my hon. Friend that we are absolutely committed to delivering that holistic intervention and ensuring that all areas of the country see progress in this space. As colleagues would expect, we will particularly target those areas where this issue is the greatest problem, and if that includes her constituency, she will see some action.