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Tomlinson asked James Purnell: "Instead of forcing people out to work, couldn't something be done to bring work into our homes - like with cottage industries?"
James Purnell answers: "Good question. I’m keen to see how businesses can provide more flexible working practises to help many more people off benefits and into work. What’s more interesting is how many companies are now taking..." Show more»" Good question. I’m keen to see how businesses can provide more flexible working practises to help many more people off benefits and into work. What’s more interesting is how many companies are now taking this onboard. Our advisers in Jobcentre Plus work hard to identify jobs which offer more flexible working patterns to those with childcare responsibilities or mobility issues. Also, for those disabled people who feel that what holds them back are problems with their workplace we are doubling our investment in the Access to Work programme which will transform thousands of work places, making them accessible to disabled workers. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Politics | Email to friends | Aug 19 2008 1:00:21 PM
stacey asked James Purnell: "With food price inflation at 10% and energy prices rising by 30%, how can you budget to make sure benefits and pensions- which are supposed to pay for these essentials can keep up? And what about the ..." Show more »"With food price inflation at 10% and energy prices rising by 30%, how can you budget to make sure benefits and pensions- which are supposed to pay for these essentials can keep up? And what about the future, when these reources become even more scare" Show less »
James Purnell answers: "We have something called the annual benefit uprating, where every year we increase the level of benefits and pensions to ensure they keep in line with what’s happening in the wider economy. Over the last..." Show more»" We have something called the annual benefit uprating, where every year we increase the level of benefits and pensions to ensure they keep in line with what’s happening in the wider economy. Over the last decade we have had a strong and stable economy in this country and this has been reflected in record numbers of people in work and the numbers claiming unemployment cut in half. Now that we are feeling the global economic pressures, just as much in Halifax as it is elsewhere, we need to make sure we in government continue to do all we can to support people off benefits and into work, helping businesses create more jobs and ensuring people can still get on the housing ladder and stay in their homes. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Politics | Email to friends | Aug 19 2008 12:59:34 PM
Tracey1 asked James Purnell: "i would like to know why you have decided to target people with 11 plus year old children starting in november this year, they are the hardest group to find child care for as most childcare providers ..." Show more »"
i would like to know why you have decided to target people with 11 plus year old children starting in november this year, they are the hardest group to find child care for as most childcare providers wont have them after there twelth birthday it would have made more sense to start with 8 plus
" Show less »
James Purnell answers: "No question that childcare is as big an issue with you in Halifax as it is elsewhere in the country. We as government have to make sure that the right childcare is in place to let parents find work. One..." Show more»" No question that childcare is as big an issue with you in Halifax as it is elsewhere in the country. We as government have to make sure that the right childcare is in place to let parents find work. One of the key things we do is work with employers to try and find flexible working for parents, especially lone parents, so that they can balance going out to work with their childcare responsibilities. When we decided to lower the age of the youngest child at which someone claiming benefits would have to go to work, we had to take into consideration the impact this would have. After consulting with a number of parents’ groups we decided that it would be too big a leap to go straight from 16 to 8 which is why we have put in an interim stage of 12. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Politics | Email to friends | Aug 19 2008 12:58:04 PM
jodywhales asked James Purnell: "One of your proposals is that unemployed drug users will have to accept treatment for their drug habit before receiving any benefit. How will you know if somebody is a drug user or not?"
James Purnell answers: "Let's be clear, drugs ruin people’s lives and we should do all we can to get people who are hooked on drugs to kick their habit. Our plan is to make identification of problem drug use a part of the new..." Show more»" Let's be clear, drugs ruin people’s lives and we should do all we can to get people who are hooked on drugs to kick their habit. Our plan is to make identification of problem drug use a part of the new claim process for benefits. For those claiming the main unemployment benefit, JSA, we will strengthen guidance for advisers to help them to identify claimants who may be dependent on heroin or crack cocaine. Those identified will then be required to see a drug treatment provider. We also propose to share information between Jobcentre Plus and the police, probation services and prisons. "Show less«
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0 comment | Topic: Politics | Email to friends | Aug 19 2008 12:55:54 PM
iberian asked James Purnell: "Would the amount benefit claimants receive go up, if number of false claimants and people who don't really need it go down? Maybe that sounds niaive but which is the priority- to cut the overall budget..." Show more »"Would the amount benefit claimants receive go up, if number of false claimants and people who don't really need it go down? Maybe that sounds niaive but which is the priority- to cut the overall budget or to redistribute the same budget to those who need it most?" Show less »
James Purnell answers: "The priority is to ensure that everyone who can work has the opportunity to do so and that no one, no matter what their individual circumstances, is written off. "
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0 comment | Topic: Politics | Email to friends | Aug 19 2008 12:53:43 PM