Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, what metrics his Department plans to use to assess the effectiveness of these youth employment policies.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, what estimate he has made of the regional distribution of the jobs and apprenticeships expected to be created under the youth employment drive.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, whether employers will be required to retain employees hired through the Youth Jobs Grant for a minimum period.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that jobs created through the Youth Jobs Grant are additional to existing positions.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, what estimate he has made of the average cost of each job created through the youth employment drive.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, what factors will determine whether employers can receive the maximum £2,000 subsidy to support 16-21 year-olds into work.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, over what time period the £1 billion funding for youth employment will be spent.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, how the £1 billion funding allocated to the youth employment drive will be distributed between (a) the Youth Jobs Grant, (b) the Jobs Guarantee expansion and (c) apprenticeship incentives.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, how many employers his Department expects to claim the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for next generation, published on 16 March 2026, what eligibility criteria employers must meet to receive the £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for hiring young people aged 18–24.

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. That is why this Government is investing in young people’s futures. On 16 March we announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job. The Youth Jobs Grant is specifically targeted at young people because of the risk of lifelong scarring impacts of extended unemployment at a young age and to support this Government’s commitment to reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training. It does not place additional requirements on employers’ wider workforce decisions, which remain governed by existing employment law. We followed standard process in assessing equalities impacts, including on the basis of age, to inform Ministerial decisions on the policy. There remains a range of wider employment programmes in place to support adults of all ages into work. The Youth Jobs Grant is also designed to support employers in hiring eligible young people who have been out of work for six months. The scheme will not require employers to demonstrate that roles are additional. Its purpose is to reduce the barriers young people face when entering the labour market by helping employers with the early costs of recruitment and training, rather than placing conditions on wider staffing decisions and how long an employer must retain someone. It is available to any registered employer across Great Britain who hires an eligible young person. To receive the Grant, the employer must take on a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more. The Grant will be paid in staged instalments after the employment relationship has started, which will encourage sustained employment during the early months without requiring a formal retention period. We expect several thousand employers across Great Britain to make use of the Youth Jobs Grant over the next three years. The scheme is designed to support up to 60,000 opportunities for young people and we expect take-up will vary by sector and region depending on employers’ hiring needs. The Grant is open to organisations of all sizes. Further practical details on how employers will claim the Youth Jobs Grant will be set out in guidance ahead of the scheme launching in June 2026. To support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people from August, and introducing a new incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs which take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. The incentive will apply to apprenticeship starts from October 2026, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Investment into Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. We will continue to monitor the impact of these measures and will report the outcomes to Parliament as necessary.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor and Energy Secretary meet with fuel bosses in No11 as government order crackdown on pump prices, published on 13 March 2026, what analysis her Department has undertaken of the time taken by fuel retailers to pass on increases in wholesale fuel costs to motorists.

At Budget, the Chancellor confirmed the new FuelFinder service, which is now operational and will give consumers clear, real-time information so that they can find the cheapest fuel available. The Chancellor has written to Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, expressing support for the CMA’s work to ensure customers are not affected by undue price rises, including for road fuel. See the letter here: Letter to the CMA on vigilance for unjustifiable price increases.

Pursuant to Answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 118667, which community healthcare service types have the longest waiting times, and what steps is he taking to reduce them.

We know people are waiting too long for community services and that is why we have set a clear target for systems to work to reduce long waits in NHS England’s Medium Term Planning Framework. By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health service activity should take place within 18 weeks. In addition, in 2025 we published Standardising Community Health Services which provides an overview of the core community health services, with further detail published in February 2026.As of January 2026, there were 1.4 million people on waiting lists for community health services, with 59,245 people who had been on waiting lists for 52 to 104 weeks, and 30,946 people who had been on waiting lists for over 104 weeks.

How many patients are waiting over a) 52 weeks and b) 104 weeks for community healthcare services.

We know people are waiting too long for community services and that is why we have set a clear target for systems to work to reduce long waits in NHS England’s Medium Term Planning Framework. By 2028/29 at least 80% of community health service activity should take place within 18 weeks. In addition, in 2025 we published Standardising Community Health Services which provides an overview of the core community health services, with further detail published in February 2026.As of January 2026, there were 1.4 million people on waiting lists for community health services, with 59,245 people who had been on waiting lists for 52 to 104 weeks, and 30,946 people who had been on waiting lists for over 104 weeks.

What discussions his Department has had with local authorities in Essex on pressures on adult social care services and the adequacy of the Better Care Fund support.

While the Department regularly engages with local authorities, including in Essex, there have not been discussions about pressures facing adult social care services specifically. The Better Care Fund (BCF) is a mechanism to support Essex and other areas to manage pressures, strengthen prevention, and deliver more timely and effective discharge from hospital.For 2025/26, approximately £9 billion is committed through the BCF, which must be pooled to support better integrated health and care. Reducing delayed discharge and improving the timeliness and effectiveness of support in the community remain key priorities of the BCF.For the initial year of BCF reform, for 2026/27, over £9 billion will again be committed, with no changes to the current funding system. The National Health Service minimum contribution to adult social care has also been uplifted by 4.4% for 2026/27. The new guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/better-care-fund-framework-2026-to-2027/better-care-fund-framework-2026-to-2027The Government will consult on further reforms to the BCF from 2027/28 onwards.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Government to go "further and faster" in becoming energy secure, published on 15 March 2026, whether the plug-in solar panels received Government funding.

As set out in the announcement we are working to make plug-in solar panels available in shops as quickly as possible. Plug-in solar panels are not currently eligible for government grants or loans however we keep technology eligibility for government schemes under review.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor and Energy Secretary meet with fuel bosses in No11 as government order crackdown on pump prices, published on 13 March 2026, which companies and industry representatives attended the Downing Street meeting with fuel retailers and energy suppliers on 13 March 2026.

The roundtable was attended by representatives from the CMA, in their capacity as the regulator; relevant trade associations; and major petrol retailers and energy suppliers. Government publishes a record of meetings in regular transparency releases. To ensure we continue to foster an open dialogue as the situation in the Middle East develops, we will not be publishing full minutes of the meeting. The Chancellor has written to Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, expressing support for the CMA’s work to ensure customers are not affected by undue price rises, including for road fuel. Letter to the CMA on vigilance for unjustifiable price increases. The CMA has a statutory monitoring function in the road fuel sector and has released a statement confirming their plans to step up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices. CMA steps up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices - GOV.UK.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor and Energy Secretary meet with fuel bosses in No11 as government order crackdown on pump prices, published on 13 March 2026, whether (a) minutes and (b) a summary of the meeting held with fuel retailers in Downing Street on 13 March 2026 will be published.

The roundtable was attended by representatives from the CMA, in their capacity as the regulator; relevant trade associations; and major petrol retailers and energy suppliers. Government publishes a record of meetings in regular transparency releases. To ensure we continue to foster an open dialogue as the situation in the Middle East develops, we will not be publishing full minutes of the meeting. The Chancellor has written to Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, expressing support for the CMA’s work to ensure customers are not affected by undue price rises, including for road fuel. Letter to the CMA on vigilance for unjustifiable price increases. The CMA has a statutory monitoring function in the road fuel sector and has released a statement confirming their plans to step up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices. CMA steps up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices - GOV.UK.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Chancellor and Energy Secretary meet with fuel bosses in No11 as government order crackdown on pump prices, published on 13 March 2026, what proportion of petrol forecourts are currently providing real-time price data to the Government’s Fuel Finder scheme.

There are currently approximately 7,400 petrol filling stations (PFSs) registered with Fuel Finder (approximately 90% of UK PFSs). Over 80% of UK PFSs have updated at least one price within the past week. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for enforcing Fuel Finder, but has confirmed that until at least May 2026, its focus will be on supporting retailers to comply, rather than enforcement.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 118132, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in number of clinical negligence claims made against the NHS since 2006-07.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.Although forecasts remain uncertain, it is likely that, without action to address it, the costs of clinical negligence will continue to grow substantially. The Government Actuary’s Department forecasts that annual payments for compensation and legal costs will increase from £3 billion in 2024/25 to £4.1 billion by 2029/30.Between 2006/7 and 2024/25, the total volume of claims settled by NHS Resolution increased from 5,923 to 13,329. In 2025, the National Audit Office’s Costs of clinical negligence report stated that "settled claim volumes for hospital activity under CNST have remained relatively stable since 2016-17. Recent increases in clinical negligence claims are largely due to the introduction of two new indemnity schemes in 2019 covering both current and historic claims in primary medical services”.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office’s report. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.

What steps he is taking to help reduce the financial cost arising from clinical negligence claims within the NHS.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.Although forecasts remain uncertain, it is likely that, without action to address it, the costs of clinical negligence will continue to grow substantially. The Government Actuary’s Department forecasts that annual payments for compensation and legal costs will increase from £3 billion in 2024/25 to £4.1 billion by 2029/30.Between 2006/7 and 2024/25, the total volume of claims settled by NHS Resolution increased from 5,923 to 13,329. In 2025, the National Audit Office’s Costs of clinical negligence report stated that "settled claim volumes for hospital activity under CNST have remained relatively stable since 2016-17. Recent increases in clinical negligence claims are largely due to the introduction of two new indemnity schemes in 2019 covering both current and historic claims in primary medical services”.As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office’s report. No decisions on policy have been taken at this point, and the Government will provide an update on the work done and next steps in due course.