John Pugh
Main Page: John Pugh (Liberal Democrat - Southport)Department Debates - View all John Pugh's debates with the HM Treasury
Oral Answers to Questions
John Pugh Excerpts(10 years, 2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Danny Alexander
The employment rate, the number of people in employment, is higher than it has ever been. The employment rate is getting near to its record high again.
John Pugh (Southport) (LD)
That is good news, but what proportion of new jobs are in London and the south-east? Do we not need to do even more to rebalance the economy?
Danny Alexander
Employment levels are rising in every part of the United Kingdom, but my hon. Friend rightly draws attention to the fact that there is a great deal more work to be done to invest in infrastructure and expand our investment in apprenticeships. The growth deals and city deals benefit every part of this country, and the industrial strategies taken forward by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills are helping to grow manufacturing and exports in a way that was lamentably absent from the previous Government’s plans.