The Prime Minister asked the Leaders of the Commons and Lords to
set out updates on business in the House this week, including
second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the Commons
today, paving the way to protect future generations from the
harms of smoking and vaping. The Leaders also set out that the
Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill is expected to
shortly receive Royal Assent, marking the first major step
towards delivering a publicly-owned rail network, which will end
years of fragmentation, put passengers first and drive up
standards.
The Prime Minister then asked the Work and Pensions Secretary for
an update on the Get Britain Working White Paper, which is being
published today, noting the unacceptable situation that nearly 1
million young people are not currently in work and education, and
that it was critical the government was taking action in this
space, to support young people and to support the Government's
mission to grow the economy.
The Work and Pensions Secretary said that the reforms were the
most significant in a generation and would support growth and
make people better off. She added that the UK was the only G7
country that has higher levels of economic inactivity than before
the pandemic, with 2.8 million people out of work due to
ill-health. She set out the key aspects of the reforms to be
announced today: First, an overhaul of job centres, ending the
tick-box approach to benefits administration and providing a
genuine employment service; second, a Youth Guarantee, such that
all young people are either earning or learning; and third, a
plan to drive down ill-health related inactivity with 8
trailblazer areas driving new joined up employment support to
support people with ill-health into employment.
The Chancellor said these reforms were crucial to our growth
mission, delivering higher living standards and better public
services. And the Health Secretary said that we were prioritising
elective recovery in the areas, not only with the longest waiting
lists, but those with the most people off work due to ill-health.
