Rob Wilson's Westminster Diary, March 19 2009

Rob Wilson MP • Published 19 Mar 2009 08:30 0 Comments

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ANOTHER day and another Minister in my constituency.

This time it's the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and at least he had the courtesy to let me know!

Following the last incursions from ministers I wrote a short note to each of them reminding them of Parliamentary protocol and Jonathan Shaw, Minister for the South East, wrote a handwritten, very contrite, 'sorry' letter. He is forgiven and welcome to come again!

As James Purnell had been kind enough to tell me of his visit, it gave me an opportunity to raise it with Ministers on the floor of the House, during Work & Pensions Questions.

Obviously, I am very concerned about the surge in unemployment and how it is affecting my constituents.

The Government has been cutting the jobs of those tasked to get people back into work. Jobcentre Plus jobs and offices have disappeared at an alarming rate in recent years, with 38 closing and hundreds of jobs going. I wanted to ensure that the hardworking people in my Jobcentre Plus weren't about to go the same way.

So I extracted a public guarantee from the Minister that Reading Jobcentre is safe and that it will get the resources it needs to carry on its work. I also asked for another guarantee, which unfortunately wasn't forthcoming. Unemployed constituents have been contacting me recently about the fact that in some cases they can't afford the travel cost to attend interviews.

At the moment these costs can be reclaimed (although it can take lengthy periods to get the money back) but some people who live a hand-to-mouth existence haven't got the cash.

Some are able to beg, steal or borrow it from friends or family but use up goodwill in doing so, especially if the Jobcentre doesn't refund it quickly.

But those who can't do so, are not able go to the job interview and therefore risk their Jobseeker's Allowance being cut or stopped altogether. They also miss a real chance of a job. Is there not a system where a jobseeker can get an upfront payment of a ticket?

If it is in any way abused it could be deducted from the Jobseeker's Allowance, or perhaps it could be booked via a travel office?

What made it all quite absurd is that jobseekers will shortly be allowed to claim for a £300 suit in

which to attend an interview, but won't be able to get there because they can't get the travel cost up front! Another Government gimmick to capture the headlines falls flat on its face.

Is putting somebody in a £300 suit going to make all the difference to them getting a job? Most companies don't ask people to wear suits to work these days - it's a slightly dated concept of the work environment. Looking presentable is important, but so is having the right attitude and skills.

Monday's report from the Centre for Cities said that, because of rising unemployment, British-born workers are having to seek low-paid and low-status jobs that have become the preserve of immigrant workers.

Competition for jobs is expected to become fiercer because there is little evidence that eastern Europeans are returning home because of the economic downturn. But the report made the point that private companies didn't want the British employees because the attitude and productivity of the Eastern Europeans was so much better.

It even found evidence of recruitment agencies in one city operating an immigrants-only policy - effectively freezing local people out of the chance to work in factories.

It makes Gordon Brown's 'British jobs for British workers' pledge sound very hollow indeed.

What the government should be doing is raising the educational standards, the skills and aspirations of a swathe of people across our country. But it also needs to make sure, in the extreme cases, they can get to the interview!

This blog appeared in Reading Chronicle 19 Mar 09

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