Business Hiring
Debate between Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath and Lord Deben
Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Lab)
That is a very topical question from the right reverend Prelate. Greater Manchester has shown the value of putting decisions closer to the people and places they affect. Ambitious growth plans are at the heart of its strategy, linking jobs, skills and public services. Collaborative local leadership has supported pathways into work, enabled by infrastructure connecting people to opportunities. Jobs have also flowed from procurement and investment. One of the benefits of devolution is enabling innovation. We look forward to sharing the learning from the success of Manchester across the country.
Lord Deben (Con)
My Lords, my family owns the local pub, and therefore I can speak from trying to employ people. We have very high employment standards in our business, and we have had to reduce staff because of what the Government have done on employment taxes of all kinds. That is true of the whole hospitality industry. It is all right for people to groan, but those who are actually running pubs know that we are closing one after another because the Government have not helped us; they have made life much more difficult.
Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Lab)
We are not complacent. I hear what the noble Lord says. We have introduced permanently lower business rates for retail and hospitality properties. The average pub gains £1,650 this year, and that is in addition to increased hospitality support of over £10 million funding over the next three years. For young people in pubs and hospitality, we are introducing hospitality foundation apprenticeships.