Contributions
3,765 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkI am grateful to the hon. Member for raising this point; I have addressed it previously, but am happy to do so again. As the Office for National Statistics and others have said,…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkIt is difficult to make such comparisons on GDP figures specifically, for the simple reason that the way in which we calculate GDP in this country uses different deflators for the…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkThe hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point. It is one that, I hope, we have already addressed. He is right about the importance of companies having the cash flow to bounce back…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkThe kickstart scheme has now created almost 200,000 job placements for young people in record time, given that the scheme was only announced in July last year and operational in…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkI thank my hon. Friend for his warm words, and I agree with him. This is the task that the Government will meet head-on, and it is right that it needs to be an ambitious goal that…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkThe Government and I strongly believe that firing and rehiring should not be used as a negotiating tactic by companies; that is absolutely right. The hon. Gentleman will know that…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkI will make some progress. Before I turn to the details of the Queen’s Speech, let me update the House on the improving economic context. A year ago today, I stood at this…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkWell, my right hon. Friend and I strongly agree on the role of the private sector in driving our recovery. What is important, as the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) said,…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkThe Government believe in devolution and have worked successfully with Mayors across the country. I have a very productive relationship with Mayors. I commend all Mayors who have…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkI am just going to wrap up. It is apt that today the Opposition broke with a minor tradition, choosing to debate economic matters first, not last, and specifically to cite jobs as…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkI will make a tiny bit more progress. Taken together, over the last year and this, our plan for jobs is providing over £407 billion of support for British people and businesses—a…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkI am pleased to speak today in support of the Queen’s Speech and the measures it contains to make the United Kingdom stronger, healthier and more prosperous than before. Let me…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkI will make a tiny bit of progress. In respect of the labour market, it is worth reminding the House that at the start of this crisis, unemployment was expected to reach 12% or…12 May 2021HANSARDBetter Jobs and a Fair Deal at WorkI appreciate all the constructive conversations my right hon. Friend has had with me on this topic, which I know he feels passionately about. As he will know, while our economy…12 May 2021HANSARDLiving StandardsIt would be wrong for me to pre-empt the Queen’s Speech—I know that colleagues will understand that—but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that my right hon. Friend the Work and…27 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, which is on an important matter. I welcome the conclusions of the Swift review, and I hope he will appreciate that it would not be…27 Apr 2021HANSARDLiving StandardsThe Government are committed to supporting household living standards during this difficult time for our country. That is why we announced an unprecedented package of support to…27 Apr 2021HANSARDBusiness InvestmentStimulating private sector investment will be key to our economic recovery. The recent Budget announced multiple policies to help achieve that, including freeports, the Help to…27 Apr 2021HANSARDRetraining and UpskillingMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. Across our nation, over 10 million adults do not have a level 3 qualification. Thanks to this Government’s lifetime skills guarantee, they will…27 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsFishing is at the heart of many of our coastal communities, and I pay tribute to Mr Chapman and my hon. Friend for their commitment to the sector. I am happy that the Government…27 Apr 2021