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Written question asked by Clive Betts (Labour) on Thursday, 19 December 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 January 2025 (named day). It was answered by Alison McGovern (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 January 2025 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Jobcentres: Training

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of transferring powers for (a) skills and (b) training for employment support from job centres to (i) mayors and (ii) unitary councils under devolution deals.

Answer

As announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Department for Work and Pensions will devolve funding for Connect to Work via grants to Strategic Authorities (including unitaries with a devolution agreement), and other agreed local authority clusters across the rest of England. This funding, in addition to the local Get Britain Working plans these areas will produce, will enable them to design and deliver an offer that is shaped around local priorities and provision. For Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Connect to Work funding forms part of their Integrated Settlement.

All Mayoral Strategic Authorities will have a role in co-designing any future non-Jobcentre Plus employment support. Their subsequent role in commissioning or delivery will be determined as part of agreeing the policy objectives, design and funding parameters of any future programme. Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will play an integral role in the design and delivery of this support, subject to evaluation and readiness conditions being met, with a clear outcomes and accountability framework.

The Department for Education already devolves the Adult Skills Fund to all Strategic Authorities, including Mayoral ones.

Full details of the governments employment and skills devolution commitments are set out within the recently published English Devolution White Paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-devolution-white-paper-power-and-partnership-foundations-for-growth/english-devolution-white-paper

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
21263
Session
2024-26
Related items
Get Britain Working
Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Subjects
Devolution Jobcentres Employment schemes Powers Training Unitary councils Mayors
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk