To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
PAYE: Scotland
Wednesday 5th January 2022

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 49 of Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts, published by the Scottish Fiscal Commission in December 2021, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the increase in PAYE employees between February 2020 and October 2021 being substantially lower in Scotland than other regions and nations in the UK.

Answered by Simon Clarke

In July 2020, the Government launched the Plan for Jobs to protect, support and create jobs across the country. As demonstrated in the Plan for Jobs Progress Update, it is clear that the plan is working.

This includes the Kickstart Scheme, which funds jobs for young people at risk of long-term unemployment, to improve their chances of progressing into long-term and sustainable work. As of 5th December, around 112,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people across Great Britain, of which 9,730 were in Scotland.

In addition to Kickstart, the Youth Offer provides a guaranteed foundation of support to 16- and 17-year-olds on in the Intensive Work Search group on Universal Credit in Great Britain.

The Job Entry Targeted Support Scheme (JETS) provides personalised support to those in Great Britain who have been unemployed for 3-12 months. So far, JETS has supported over 176,000 jobseekers across England, Scotland and Wales, with over 43,000 job outcomes achieved.

JETS support is worth around £1,000 per claimant.

Additionally, over 910,000 jobs have been protected by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in Scotland since March 2020.


Written Question
Employment Schemes: Young People
Monday 20th December 2021

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support young people into jobs in (1) England, and (2) other European countries.

Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott

We have announced our Plan for Jobs expansion which will see another £500 million invested in supporting people into jobs. Specific support for young people is available through Kickstart and the DWP Youth Offer.

The Kickstart scheme is dedicated to helping 16-24-year olds at risk of long-term unemployment develop their skills and experience through 6-month work placements. Over 112,000 Kickstart jobs have been started, and the scheme will continue until March 2022, offering jobs and experience to many thousands more young people.

We are extending the DWP Youth Offer to 2025 and have expanded eligibility to include 16 and 17-year olds, in addition to 18 to 24-year olds, who are claiming Universal Credit and searching for work. The Youth Offer currently provides intensive work search support through the Youth Employment Programme, specialised Youth Employment Coaches for young people with additional barriers to work, and over 150 Youth Hubs across England, Scotland and Wales.

DWP is working in collaboration with the Department for Education, National Careers Service, devolved administrations, and other partners to deliver a comprehensive package of support for young people.

The Government’s primary focus is the recovery of the labour market in the UK.


Written Question
Unemployment
Friday 17th December 2021

Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the (a) unemployment and (b) youth unemployment rates in Enfield North constituency; what comparative assessment her Department has made of those figures and the equivalent UK rates; what assessment her Department has made of the factors that contribute to geographical disparities in unemployment rates; and what steps she is taking to reduce unemployment in Enfield North constituency.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Estimates of (a) unemployment and (b) youth unemployment in the year to Jun 2021 based on the Annual Population Survey are published and available here. Guidance for users can be found here. The sample sizes for Enfield North mean that the youth unemployment rate is suppressed in the latest data, and the overall unemployment rate estimate is unreliable.

This geographical data is published and the Department keeps it regularly under review.

Through our Plan for Jobs, DWP has recruited an additional 13,500 Work Coaches to provide support to unemployed people to find a job. DWP has several targeted schemes to support people of all ages and to help them prepare for and progress into work. These include the Kickstart Scheme which has, so far, seen over 112,000 young people aged 18-24 start new jobs and Restart which provides up to 12 months intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who have been unemployed for a year.

The DWP Youth Offer has been extended to 2025 and has expanded eligibility to include 16 and 17-year olds, in addition to 18 to 24-year olds, who are claiming Universal Credit and searching for work through the 150 Youth Hubs across England, Scotland and Wales. DWP is also delivering a comprehensive package of support for young people in collaboration with the Department for Education and National Careers Service in England, the Devolved Administrations, and other partners.

In Enfield North, all customers have access to the Plan for Jobs offer, delivering a comprehensive range of support to help people back into work. We are in the process of establishing two Youth Hubs in Enfield. Mainstream employment support in Enfield is supplemented through DWP’s local Flexible Support Funded (FSF) provision, in response to needs identified within the local community, delivering tailored support to enhance employment prospects.

The Jobcentre also works with local employers to deliver Sector Work Based Academy Programmes (SWAPs). These deliver short vocational training linked directly to vacancies within a particular employer or in a particular sector. In Enfield we continue to host a range of employers in various sectors including care, construction, administration and warehouse roles.


Written Question
Kickstart Scheme
Thursday 9th December 2021

Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation (ii) region and (iii) sector; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As of the 5th December 2021, around 311,200 jobs have been approved for funding and around 112,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people. 223,200 jobs have been advertised and made available for young people to apply to through the scheme

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 5th December and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application. Included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location. Data on approved jobs is taken from a snapshot of the Kickstart system at a point in time. This figure can be affected by retrospective changes resulting from applications being rescinded.

The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by nation.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

England

195090

96760

Scotland

16780

9730

Wales

11300

5330

Table 2 - Kickstart jobs made available and started by region.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

Scotland

16780

9730

Wales

11300

5330

East Midlands

13420

6860

East of England

17380

8010

London

49100

23920

North East

9290

5310

North West

28110

14180

South East

25180

12030

South West

14870

6940

West Midlands

19900

10490

Yorkshire and The Humber

17840

9020

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Table 3 - Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

Sector

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

Administration

55040

27600

Animal Care

1330

900

Beauty & Wellbeing

1630

920

Business & Finance

8330

4110

Computing Technology & Digital

15610

9080

Construction & Trades

6680

3510

Creative & Media

19070

11090

Delivery & Storage

6260

3180

Emergency & Uniform Services

490

250

Engineering & Maintenance

6800

3400

Environment & Land

4230

2210

Government Services

940

340

Healthcare

5830

2360

Home Services

1680

600

Hospitality & Food

25150

9480

Law & Legal

540

350

Managerial

1000

490

Manufacturing

6160

2980

Retail & Sales

33230

18770

Science & Research

870

560

Social Care

4740

1840

Sports & Leisure

5410

2730

Teaching & Education

10680

4500

Transport

840

250

Travel & Tourism

700

330

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.


Written Question
Universal Credit: Young People
Wednesday 8th December 2021

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what long-term steps the Government is taking to help young people on universal credit who are not working into work.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have announced our Plan for Jobs expansion which will see another £500 million invested in supporting people into jobs, with young people at the heart of this through Kickstart and our DWP Youth Offer.

The Kickstart scheme is dedicated to helping 16-24-year olds at risk of long-term unemployment develop their skills and experience through 6-month jobs. Around 112,000 Kickstart jobs have been started and the scheme will continue until March 2022, offering jobs and experience to many thousands more young people.

We are extending the DWP Youth Offer to 2025 and have expanded eligibility to include 16 and 17-year olds, in addition to 18 to 24-year olds, who are claiming Universal Credit and searching for work. The Youth Offer currently provides intensive work search support through the Youth Employment Programme, specialised Youth Employment Coaches for young people with additional barriers to work, and over 150 Youth Hubs across England, Scotland and Wales.

DWP is working in collaboration with the Department for Education, National Careers Service, devolved administrations, and other partners to deliver a comprehensive package of support for young people.


Written Question
Kickstart Scheme
Wednesday 8th December 2021

Asked by: Lia Nici (Conservative - Great Grimsby)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation, (ii) region and (iii) sector as of 30 November 2021.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As of the 30th November 2021, over 311,000 jobs have been approved for funding and around 110,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people. Over 223,000 jobs have been advertised and made available for young people to apply to through the scheme

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 2nd December 2021 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application. Included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location. Data on approved jobs is taken from a snapshot of the Kickstart system at a point in time. This figure can be affected by retrospective changes resulting from applications being rescinded.

The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

East Midlands

13,360

6,760

East of England

17,410

7,770

London

49,090

23,460

North East

9,370

5,240

North West

28,020

13,920

Scotland

16,770

9,570

South East

25,200

11,840

South West

14,990

6,830

Wales

11,390

5,230

West Midlands

19,760

10,280

Yorkshire and The Humber

17,870

8,840

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

Sector

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

Administration

55,040

27,160

Animal Care

1,320

880

Beauty & Wellbeing

1,630

900

Business & Finance

8,300

4,020

Computing Technology & Digital

15,570

8,870

Construction & Trades

6,700

3,390

Creative & Media

18,940

10,880

Delivery & Storage

6,280

3,130

Emergency & Uniform Services

510

240

Engineering & Maintenance

6,780

3,340

Environment & Land

4,200

2,170

Government Services

930

330

Healthcare

5,920

2,330

Home Services

1,690

590

Hospitality & Food

25,330

9,270

Law & Legal

540

340

Managerial

1,010

480

Manufacturing

6,190

2,940

Retail & Sales

33,300

18,460

Science & Research

870

540

Social Care

4,770

1,820

Sports & Leisure

5,400

2,690

Teaching & Education

10,540

4,420

Transport

840

240

Travel & Tourism

690

330

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.


Written Question
Employment Schemes: Young People
Wednesday 8th December 2021

Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what initiatives her Department has undertaken to assist jobseekers under the age of 25 to find employment.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have announced our Plan for Jobs expansion which will see another £500 million invested in supporting people into jobs, with young people at the heart of this through Kickstart and our DWP Youth Offer.

The Kickstart scheme is dedicated to helping 16-24-year olds at risk of long-term unemployment develop their skills and experience through 6-month jobs. Around 112,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people and the scheme will continue until March 2022, offering jobs and experience to many thousands more young people.

We are extending the DWP Youth Offer to 2025 and have expanded eligibility to include 16 and 17-year olds, in addition to 18 to 24-year olds, who are claiming Universal Credit and searching for work. The Youth Offer currently provides intensive work search support through the Youth Employment Programme, specialised Youth Employment Coaches for young people with additional barriers to work, and over 150 Youth Hubs across England, Scotland and Wales.

DWP is working in collaboration with the Department for Education, National Careers Service, devolved administrations, and other partners to deliver a comprehensive package of support for young people.


Written Question
Kickstart Programme
Monday 15th November 2021

Asked by: Caroline Ansell (Conservative - Eastbourne)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many kickstart scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation (ii) region and (iii) sector, and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As of the 9th November, over 306,000 jobs have been approved for funding and over 100,000 young people have started a Kickstart job. Over 217,000 jobs have been advertised and made available for young people to apply to through the scheme

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 9th November and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application. Included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location. Data on approved jobs is taken from a snapshot of the Kickstart system at a point in time. This figure can be affected by retrospective changes resulting from applications being rescinded.

The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

East Midlands

13,230

6,180

East of England

17,210

7,090

London

47,750

21,550

North East

8,940

4,770

North West

27,110

12,760

Scotland

16,110

8,640

South East

24,380

10,900

South West

15,030

6,370

Wales

11,100

4,850

West Midlands

19,420

9,330

Yorkshire and The Humber

17,270

8,040

Other

80

20

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

Sector

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

Administration

53,550

25,060

Animal Care

1,250

790

Beauty & Wellbeing

1,600

800

Business & Finance

7,930

3,700

Computing Technology & Digital

15,130

8,230

Construction & Trades

6,460

3,100

Creative & Media

17,780

10,000

Delivery & Storage

6,150

2,840

Emergency & Uniform Services

520

220

Engineering & Maintenance

6,660

3,070

Environment & Land

4,020

1,980

Government Services

790

300

Healthcare

6,680

2,110

Home Services

1,560

530

Hospitality & Food

25,390

8,380

Law & Legal

490

320

Managerial

1,050

460

Manufacturing

5,890

2,670

Retail & Sales

32,390

16,740

Science & Research

850

500

Social Care

4,610

1,630

Sports & Leisure

5,180

2,460

Teaching & Education

10,280

4,010

Transport

750

210

Travel & Tourism

700

290

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.


Written Question
Kickstart Scheme
Friday 5th November 2021

Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people, by (i) nation, (ii) region and (iii) sector.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As of the 2nd November, 98,000 young people have started a Kickstart job. Over 215,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply to through the scheme and over 304,000 jobs have been approved for funding.

From 28/09/2021 to 25/10/2021, on average over 6,700 Kickstart jobs were made available each week, and on average over 3,400 young people started a Kickstart job each week.

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 2nd November and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

East Midlands

13,020

6,030

East of England

17,130

6,900

London

46,790

20,990

North East

8,660

4,600

North West

26,720

12,460

Scotland

16,040

8,400

South East

24,310

10,580

South West

15,080

6,230

Wales

11,100

4,730

West Midlands

19,270

9,070

Yorkshire and The Humber

16,830

7,830

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

Sector

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

Administration

53,230

24,440

Animal Care

1,250

760

Beauty & Wellbeing

1,600

780

Business & Finance

7,770

3,570

Computing Technology & Digital

14,950

8,070

Construction & Trades

6,500

3,010

Creative & Media

17,550

9,750

Delivery & Storage

6,190

2,780

Emergency & Uniform Services

520

220

Engineering & Maintenance

6,680

3,000

Environment & Land

3,990

1,930

Government Services

780

280

Healthcare

5,330

2,060

Home Services

1,560

520

Hospitality & Food

25,080

8,110

Law & Legal

450

310

Managerial

1,070

460

Manufacturing

5,820

2,590

Retail & Sales

32,510

16,340

Science & Research

840

490

Social Care

4,750

1,590

Sports & Leisure

5,150

2,400

Teaching & Education

10,010

3,870

Transport

730

210

Travel & Tourism

700

280

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.


Written Question
Kickstart Scheme
Wednesday 27th October 2021

Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart scheme placements for young people have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started in each (i) nation, (ii) region and (iii) business sector since the beginning of that scheme.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As of the 26th October, almost 94,000 young people have started a Kickstart job.

With the current pace of starts, we are confident that in early November over 100,000 young people will have started in a Kickstart job. This is an amazing achievement with the first jobs having started only a year ago. We will continue to offer Kickstart jobs to many thousands more.

As of the 26th of October, over 213,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply to through the scheme and over 304,000 jobs have been approved for funding.

From 28/09/2021 to 25/10/2021, on average over 6,700 Kickstart jobs were made available each week, and on average over 3,400 young people started a Kickstart job each week.

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 25th of October and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.

Location

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

East Midlands

13,040

5,700

East of England

17,010

6,550

London

45,760

19,840

North East

8,560

4,360

North West

26,270

11,920

Scotland

15,750

7,990

South East

23,880

10,100

South West

14,990

5,990

Wales

11,160

4,500

West Midlands

19,070

8,590

Yorkshire and The Humber

16,620

7,380

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.

Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

Sector

Jobs Made Available

Cumulative Jobs Started

Administration

52,320

23,240

Animal Care

1,220

720

Beauty & Wellbeing

1,480

750

Business & Finance

7,720

3,400

Computing Technology & Digital

14,690

7,780

Construction & Trades

6,290

2,900

Creative & Media

17,120

9,280

Delivery & Storage

6,170

2,650

Emergency & Uniform Services

490

200

Engineering & Maintenance

6,610

2,850

Environment & Land

3,950

1,870

Government Services

750

280

Healthcare

5,460

1,960

Home Services

1,540

490

Hospitality & Food

25,130

7,670

Law & Legal

450

290

Managerial

1,090

450

Manufacturing

5,810

2,470

Retail & Sales

32,080

15,300

Science & Research

850

460

Social Care

4,820

1,530

Sports & Leisure

5,010

2,290

Teaching & Education

9,770

3,660

Transport

730

190

Travel & Tourism

670

270

*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals.