Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will hold discussions with his counterpart in the Netherlands regarding the experience there in dealing with the number of younger people who are not in education, employment of training and any relevance it may have in the UK.

With over around one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded network of Youth Hubs, earlier intensive support in Jobs Centres through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, additional work experience and training opportunities, a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds.

We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We are using its findings to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.

The Department regularly engages with international partners to share best practice. In June, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited the Netherlands to learn more about how it has maintained a low youth NEET rate through discussions with employers, stakeholders and Dutch government counterparts.