To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the progress that is being made towards achieving the target of creating 20,000 new jobs in the Ebbsfleet Valley.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the progress that is being made towards achieving the target of creating 20,000 new jobs in the Ebbsfleet Valley.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken through regeneration schemes to maintain employment opportunities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken through regeneration schemes to maintain employment opportunities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken through regeneration schemes to maintain employment opportunities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken through regeneration schemes to maintain employment opportunities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of new jobs created in rural areas in each region in England in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of new jobs created in rural areas in each region in England in each of the last five years.

I could not agree more with my right hon. Friend, who I know has a real interest in the subject. Without joined-up working at the local level, we will not be able to tackle child poverty. That is why I wanted the debate. The concrete facts of how much money...

I could not agree more with my right hon. Friend, who I know has a real interest in the subject. Without joined-up working at the local level, we will not be able to tackle child poverty. That is why I wanted the debate. The concrete facts of how much money...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for requesting, and I congratulate her on securing, the debate. In respect of the DWP's changing the regime for incapacity benefit and for lone parents, I have been encouraged about the way that the councils in Leeds got together with Jobcentre Plus and...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for requesting, and I congratulate her on securing, the debate. In respect of the DWP's changing the regime for incapacity benefit and for lone parents, I have been encouraged about the way that the councils in Leeds got together with Jobcentre Plus and...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I agree. I am sure the Minister will be able to tell us a little more. We have considered introducing a taper for out-of-work benefits, so that lone parents, particularly, can receive some money to make the transition while they are...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I agree. I am sure the Minister will be able to tell us a little more. We have considered introducing a taper for out-of-work benefits, so that lone parents, particularly, can receive some money to make the transition while they are...

The hon. Lady is talking about exactly the matter that I came to ask her about. I agree with what she says. I have experience of that in my constituency. Does she agree that part of the problem is that there is no flexibility built into the housing benefit system,...

The hon. Lady is talking about exactly the matter that I came to ask her about. I agree with what she says. I have experience of that in my constituency. Does she agree that part of the problem is that there is no flexibility built into the housing benefit system,...

That must be a matter for local authorities to determine, and I shall comment on what local authorities are doing. It is right to highlight in this debate the importance of local authorities' contribution. Ending child poverty cannot be achieved by central Government alone. Local authorities, voluntary sector organisations and...

That must be a matter for local authorities to determine, and I shall comment on what local authorities are doing. It is right to highlight in this debate the importance of local authorities' contribution. Ending child poverty cannot be achieved by central Government alone. Local authorities, voluntary sector organisations and...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving way, particularly as the debate was secured by my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, East. By way of pulling that work together, could the child poverty unit give advice or an instruction to local government to set up the same kind...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving way, particularly as the debate was secured by my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, East. By way of pulling that work together, could the child poverty unit give advice or an instruction to local government to set up the same kind...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, East (Kerry McCarthy) on securing the debate. The commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020, which was first set out by Tony Blair in 1999, has animated much of what the Government have done since. I vividly recall the commitment to...

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, East (Kerry McCarthy) on securing the debate. The commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020, which was first set out by Tony Blair in 1999, has animated much of what the Government have done since. I vividly recall the commitment to...

Usually, on such occasions, I am delighted to see my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, but I hope he will forgive me if I express a little disappointment today. When I submitted my request for the debate, I was hoping that a representative of the...

Usually, on such occasions, I am delighted to see my right hon. Friend the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, but I hope he will forgive me if I express a little disappointment today. When I submitted my request for the debate, I was hoping that a representative of the...

We need to do more, although we have introduced housing benefit run-on, which helps to deal with exactly that problem and has removed the difficulty for some people. I want to draw hon. Members' attention to the fact that we have been working with half a dozen local authorities and...

We need to do more, although we have introduced housing benefit run-on, which helps to deal with exactly that problem and has removed the difficulty for some people. I want to draw hon. Members' attention to the fact that we have been working with half a dozen local authorities and...

I agree with the Minister's point, which the hon. Lady also made, that people need to know that they may be entitled to housing benefit in work. The Minister referred to 20, 30 or 40 days' delay. Does he accept that, if someone goes into work and finds that it...

I agree with the Minister's point, which the hon. Lady also made, that people need to know that they may be entitled to housing benefit in work. The Minister referred to 20, 30 or 40 days' delay. Does he accept that, if someone goes into work and finds that it...