Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement welfare strategies specifically for those areas excluded from highly clustered, high-productivity economic sectors.

Our Get Britain Working White Paper set out our cross-Government plan to get people into work and on in work.

As part of that, we are planning to offer greater employment support in every part of the country to those who need it to get into work and fulfil their potential.

This Government is also taking action to deliver strong, secure, and sustainable economic growth to boost living standards for working people in every part of the UK. Central to this will be the Industrial Strategy, which will help us seize the most significant opportunities and create the most favourable conditions for growth and investment in key UK sectors – spread throughout the country. Through our 643 Jobcentres and unique high street presence, DWP will help growth driving sectors recruit the people they need to thrive.

Government has held several skills summits with industry, including on construction, clean energy and water, and has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DEFRA to improve JCP customer access to a wider pool of vacancies, with others to follow with relevant sectors.