The Prime Minister opened Cabinet by inviting the Leaders of the
Commons and Lords to update on upcoming business in Parliament.
The Leaders updated on the progress of the remaining stages of
Martyn's Law, the Employment Rights, Children's Wellbeing &
Schools Borders, Planning, and Football Governance bills.
The Prime Minister then updated on discussions with the US
administration, with the Business Secretary in Washington today
to progress discussions on an economic deal with the US. The
Prime Minister updated on his latest discussions with President
Trump last night, on the situation in Ukraine, following the good
talks between the US and Ukraine last week, and ahead of talks
with Russia this week, where it was clear the ball is now in
Russia's court.
The Prime Minister then addressed the Cabinet on welfare,
thanking the Work & Pensions Secretary for developing a major
package of reforms, alongside colleagues. He said the
government could not put off difficult decisions, and that the
current system was not defensible in moral or economic terms. He
added that it keeps people out of work, it has left one in eight
young people not currently in work, education or training, and
one in every ten working age people were now claiming at least
one type of health or disability benefit. The Prime Minister
reiterated that there is nothing progressive about letting
millions more people go on to benefits without taking action and
invited the Secretary of State to update Cabinet on the reforms.
The Work and Pensions Secretary said that the package of reforms
she will present to parliament today would deliver opportunity to
people who can work and deliver necessary reforms to ensure we
have a sustainable social security system that people can depend
on. She added that 2.8 million people are economically inactive
due to long-term sickness, that the number of working age people
claiming PIP is set to more than double, with 1000 new claims
every day, and that the UK is an international outlier in terms
of working age inactivity.
She outlined action the government was already taking with a £26
billion investment in the NHS, the Get Britain Working Plan, and
the Employment Rights Bill, but that further action was needed to
ensure we have a system that protects those with the most severe
conditions while delivering more support to ensure those who can
work are able to.
