PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Payroll Employees: Economic Growth - 7 February 2023 (Commons/Commons Chamber)
Debate Detail
Contributions from John Glen, are highlighted with a yellow border.
Chloe Smith
Norwich North
12:11:50
John Glen
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Unemployment is at a record low of 3.7%, although we recognise that there are labour shortages due, in part, to a rise in working-age inactivity. Tackling that inactivity and supporting growth remains a priority for the Government, and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is working on a thorough review, which will conclude very shortly.
12:12:14
Chloe Smith
I am glad my right hon. Friends have taken up the urgent issue of economic inactivity. Does the Minister agree that support for disability and poor health must be improved to help people to start, to stay and to succeed at work? Will he ensure that spending on Access to Work keeps pace, and will he look at a disability employment endowment fund?
John Glen
Absolutely, I will look at that. The Government have already committed £1.3 billion of funding to help those with health conditions or disabilities to get into work and to thrive. This is a complex area with a number of interlocking factors, at which we are looking very carefully at this moment.
Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.