Chuka Umunna, Member of Parliament for Streatham, has challenged ministers from the Liberal Democrat-Conservative government over their announcement of severe cuts to funding for tackling youth unemployment.

In the House of Commons chamber, Mr Umunna asked the Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander MP why the Future Jobs Fund jobs programme is being cut when data on the effectiveness of the scheme is not yet available.

Posing a question to Leader of the House of Commons Sir George Young, he also called for a full debate on the Future Jobs Fund so that its impact can be properly assessed.

This week, Mr Umunna met with local Jobcentre Plus representatives to discuss the impact of the Future Jobs Fund in the Streatham constituency and learned that full data is not yet available.

Last month the Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition government announced that the Future Jobs Fund would be axed as part of £6 billion of spending cuts.

The Future Jobs Fund, an investment programme launched by the previous Labour government to tackle unemployment among young people, provided funding to create 110,000 new jobs for 18 to 24 year olds unemployed for six months or more.

Any organisation in the private, public or third sector was able to apply for funding for new jobs through the scheme.

This week, as part of £2 billion of additional cuts the Liberal Democrat-Conservative government announced the axing of the ‘young person’s guarantee’ introduced by the last government which meant that young people out of work for six months were guaranteed a place in a job or training.

In the chamber, Mr Umunna said: “When I visited my constituency’s district Jobcentre Plus office on Monday, I was told that it was far too early to judge the effectiveness of the scheme, because no data are yet available.

“May I suggest that we have a debate on the scheme, so that we can work out whether what we are being told about the DWP’s view of the matter is a reflection of what is happening on the ground?”

Mr Umunna added: “In their manifesto the Liberal Democrats promised to begin their term in office with an economic stimulus and job creation package and are reneging on that by axing this very important scheme with their Conservative coalition partners.”

Writing in the New Statesman, leading economist and former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee Professor David Blanchflower said: “Youngsters without skills or qualifications are especially at risk. The danger is that they lose self-esteem and do not make a successful trans¬ition from school to work, potentially scarring them forever. That is bad for them: it means more unemployment, lower wages, less happiness and worse health later in life.

“It is also bad for the rest of us, not just because of the lost output, but because of the social costs. Crime rates in general and property crime in particular tend to rise in these circumstances. Above all, these are our children and it’s our problem. Unemployment makes everyone unhappy.”

On Saturday Chuka spoke at a Living Wage action lunch at Windrush Square in Brixton, organised by South London Citizens, a grass roots charity working with local people to organise for change around local issues.

As well as promoting the living wage, the event celebrated the ongoing work that Lambeth Council is carrying out with South London Citizens on street safety and youth opportunities.

Chuka Umunna said: “I am a big supporter of the work of London Citizens. The National Minimum Wage, which Labour introduced, was a groundbreaking step and has benefitted millions of people.

“A Living Wage would build on this by adequately reflecting the high cost of living in London, which would help further the fight against low wages and poverty.”

The Labour Party Manifesto was the only to commit to introducing a living wage for all Whitehall employees.

This commitment to a living wage would be combined with and supported by measures that Labour would introduce to address high pay in the Public Sector. These commitments ensure that the Public Sector continues to lead the way in promoting a fair and equal working environment.

London Citizens welcomed the commitment from Labour and suggested that other parties have to play catch up on the issue.

If you are interested in getting more involved with the London Citizens there is a South London Citizens section that always welcomes volunteers.

London has seen the biggest decrease in unemployment in the country – our unemployment rate has fallen by 5.71 per cent in the three months to February – by 22,000 – the Office of National Statistics announced this week.

Although this is good news for London, the picture was mixed across the UK with rises in unemployment in other regions. Overall, the statistics show the importance of not taking any risks with the fragile economy to secure the recovery.

What they say (on Streatham High Road):

What we say:

● Young people who have been out of work for six months are guaranteed a place in a job or training. Thanks to this pledge, Streatham Jobcentre is placing young people in work who otherwise would have been left on the scrapheap.

● Unemployment in Lambeth is 56 per cent lower than it was during the last recession when the Tories were in charge in 1992.

● Through the September Guarantee, school leavers are guaranteed a place in education, training or an apprenticeship.

● The government is backing new job creation for unemployed young people, investing £1 billion through the Future Jobs Fund. Any organisation from the public, private or third sector can apply for funding with the long term aim of creating 150,000 additional jobs

● Labour’s blueprint for a low carbon economy will create up to 1.2 million green jobs in areas such as renewable energy.

● Thanks to the steps the government has taken, the UK’s youth unemployment rate is lower than Portugal, Finland, Belgium, France, Sweden, Italy and Spain, and below the EU and Eurozone average. (Eurostat, from labour force survey 2009 – most recent statistics)

● Unemployment is falling. The number of people claiming Jobseekers allowance fell by 32,300 during the last quarter of 2009. (ONS Labour Market Statistics)

● Compared with the 1980s and 1990s recessions, when the Tories were in charge, Britain’s unemployment has been consistently lower thanks to the action the government has taken to help people through tough economic times.

Chuka Ummuna has signed the Fairness Pledge, which is supported by the Fawcett Society, the Child Poverty Action Group and the London Citizens as well as numerous Trade Unions (including the Trade Union Congress). In signing this pledge Chuka has committed to combat working poverty.

Working poverty is when people who are working either part time or full time jobs but still fall below the poverty line. Almost 60% of children who live below the poverty line live in households where at least one adult works. To find out about the five core components of the fairness pledge and to watch a video explaining why working poverty is so damaging and what can be done to combat it go to the Fairness Pledge website.

Earlier this month the number of people gaining a qualification through the government’s Train to Gain programme hit the one million mark. Through working in partnership with Business Link advisers, colleges and other training providers, Train to Gain has assisted over 175,000 businesses of all sizes in identifying their skills needs, meeting their short and long term targets and increasing productivity.

Everything from basic skills to leadership and management training is catered for by the programme, enabling people to develop skills that will help them further their careers and make a significant impact on the businesses that employ them. With nearly £1bn to be invested in the Train to Gain programme over the next year, this continued investment is crucial in helping British businesses emerge strongly from economic downturn.

The Train to Gain programme ties in with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ Skills for Growth strategy for economic growth and individual prosperity.

Labour is committed to developing more advanced apprenticeships, investing in sectors and skills on which future prosperity depends such as high tech and low carbon jobs, and empowering people through skills training.

Speaking about the milestone Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said:

“This is a great achievement for the programme and for each of the one million people who have now gained a qualification that will help them get on at work. Train to Gain has been hugely effective and both learners and employers have seen the benefits.”

To mark Mother’s Day Glenys Kinnock, Minister of State for Africa and the United Nations, has launched a campaign in conjunction with Unions Together calling on David Cameron and the Conservative Party to come clean about the repercussions of their policy on Europe. The Conservative Party’s virulent anti-Europe position means that they could jeopardise mothers and workers rights.

Baroness Kinnock points out that European laws prevent discrimination against breast-feeding mums or on the basis of pregnancy. Most recently a European Directive on agency workers was transposed into a Statutory Instrument that provides greater protection for agency workers, including improved access to training and permanent jobs and equal treatment on pay and holiday pay.

To let Cameron know how you feel about mothers and workers rights ensured by our membership in the EU you can sign the petition at Unions Together. We can’t let the Conservatives’ anti-Europe dogma undermine hard-won rights.

Streatham has been boosted by news of falling unemployment figures both in Lambeth and nationally. Across the UK, unemployment is 450,000 lower than expected at the time of the last budget and 53% lower than during the last comparable recession in 1992.

In Lambeth, there are 14,901 fewer unemployed people compared to 1992. This means that thanks to the government’s efforts, unemployment is 56% lower here than during the last recession when the Tories were in charge.

The government has provided extra investment in Job Centres, education and training to help people through the economic recovery.

The Future Jobs Fund was launched to tackle employment for young people, while the government’s September guarantee ensures that there is a place in education, training or a job for every young person leaving school.

Speaking to the BBC, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper said that Labour government investment in jobs would continue in the long term, even after full economic recovery.

Job Centre Plus in both Streatham and Brixton, alongside the local Connexions centre for young people, are all working hard to help people out of work find jobs and training.

Follow this link to see a map showing the difference in unemployment rates from 1992 to 2010.

Minister for Housing and Planning John Healey visited our area on 14 January to see the Clapham Park Estate, one of the government’s New Deal for Communities (NDC) zones.

Mr Healey met local residents and community leaders from Clapham Park Homes, a community led housing association that now runs the estate.

Clapham Park Homes was founded by the Clapham Park Project, an initiative that has received £70 million investment from the Labour Government since 2001.

Recently the Clapham Park Estate was earmarked for £9.5 million of Government funding to provide good quality housing as part of the Kickstart house building programme.

In addition the money has been provided on the condition that Clapham Park Homes provide schemes for local labour and apprenticeships, ensuring continued investment and opportunities in the area.

The redevelopment of the estate will consist of the refurbishment of existing blocks alongside the construction of new housing. As well as Government funding, the project will be funded by the sale of new homes.

Good quality, well managed and maintained homes are in the process of being built in an area revitalised with a network of new parks, open spaces, better transport and good schools.

Commenting on his visit, during which he inspected the new housing, Mr Healey said:

“I am delighted Chuka asked me to come and visit Clapham Park so I could see how the money we have ploughed into the area is being spent and so I could talk to local residents about what more we could do.

“The residents Chuka and I spoke to told us that they were pleased to see the Government investment in the area, building homes and supporting jobs – that is what we have been doing since 1997 on the Clapham Park Estate and we will continue to do so.”

Chuka highlighted the improvements to the local area, saying:

“The Clapham Park Estate has improved massively from when I was growing up in the constituency and I will work tirelessly to ensure the investment and improvements continue.”

You can visit the Clapham Park Homes website and find out more about the project here: www.cph-online.co.uk

The Labour government has announced over £1.7 billion of investment for manufacturing research and new industries such as the digital sector and biotechnologies.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated: “Growth is not only the key to prosperity and jobs, but also rebuilding the revenues for safeguarding the public services on which we rely.

“The growth strategy shows how we will support and unleash the entrepreneurial, innovative and dynamic talents we know we have in Britain.”

The focus is on long-term sustainable growth strategies in the UK. The Business Secretary, Peter Mandelson noted that much could be learnt from public companies such as John Lewis. According to evidence the company, which shares its rewards with employees, is successful in pursuing long term growth.

The government’s new strategy features £1 billion of investment in the upgrading of the country’s digital infrastructure, £70 million of new funding for manufacturing research projects and the creation of 35,000 advanced technical apprenticeships over the next two years. £38.5 million has also been assigned to 260 new research low carbon technologies projects.

Commenting on the announced investment Chuka said: “This funding, particularly for research into low-carbon technologies, clearly demonstrates Labour’s commitment to fighting climate change, alongside investment in new jobs and in a strategic long-term restructuring of the economy.”