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Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) Wednesday Volume 593 4 March 2015 No. 118 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 4 March 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 927 4 MARCH 2015 928 years between 2008 and 2012, but many of those jobs House of Commons are zero hours, part time and for agency workers. I have written to the Secretary of State about the prospect of Wednesday 4 March 2015 between 200 and 300 jobs being lost at 2 Sisters. Will he meet me and a delegation from the company, because it is important to the Welsh and UK food industries? The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Stephen Crabb: I absolutely will meet the hon. PRAYERS Gentleman, who knows that I take a great interest in job prospects in Ynys Môn, and we will look into the situation in more detail. I caution him against peddling [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] a gross caricature of the Welsh economy, because less than 3% of Welsh workers are on contracts that could be described as zero hours. Opposition Members are quite wrong to peddle this gross caricature of what is a Oral Answers to Questions business-led recovery that is bearing fruit. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): The Secretary of WALES State will be aware that the Welsh Government have nationalised Cardiff airport. What discussions has he had with the Welsh Government to ensure that they do The Secretary of State was asked— all they can to keep employment rates high? Labour Market Trends Stephen Crabb: My hon. Friend makes an important 1. Guto Bebb (Aberconwy) (Con): What assessment point. He knows that I meet Welsh Government Ministers he has made of trends in labour market statistics in frequently to discuss how we can secure the economic Wales since 2010. [907768] recovery for Wales, because it is a shared enterprise across the two Administrations: they know the efforts The Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Crabb): I that we have made to create a strong foundation for a would like to take this opportunity, in the last Welsh business-led recovery in Wales, and we need them to Question Time before the general election, to pay tribute play their part in helping to bring unemployment down to the Welsh Members who have announced their intention across Wales. to stand down. All eight right hon. and hon. Members have served their constituencies with distinction and Owen Smith (Pontypridd) (Lab): May I begin by played a vital role in making the case for Wales, as I wishing you a belated happy St David’s day, Mr Speaker, know they will continue to do outside this House. We and all Members of the House and by adding my wish them all the very best. thanks to all the Welsh Members of all parties who are Across the UK there have never been more people in retiring, but particularly my right hon. Friends the work. In Wales there are 41,000 more people in work Members for Torfaen (Paul Murphy) and for Neath since the election, but we recognise that the job is not (Mr Hain), both distinguished former Secretaries of yet done, which is why we must stick to our long-term State who have served Wales extremely well? economic plan, which is starting to bear fruit for Wales. We have heard an impressive array of statistics from the Secretary of State this morning, but will he set aside Guto Bebb: May I associate myself with my right the spin for one moment and tell us what has really hon. Friend’s comments on the departing Members? happened to the jobs market in Wales on his watch? In my constituency unemployment has fallen by 27% How many of those new Tory jobs in Wales are on year on year, and it has fallen by over 40% since the zero-hours contracts and pay a pittance in wages? height of the recession, a situation that is replicated across Wales. Will my right hon. Friend join me in Stephen Crabb: Let us remind ourselves of what we congratulating the small businesses the length and breadth inherited in 2010. Under the previous Labour Government, of Wales that have contributed to the jobs-based recovery, unemployment across Wales had increased by 80%, and will he assure me that the policies put in place by youth unemployment had increased by 75% and, worst this Government will continue if he remains in post of all, long-term unemployment had increased by more after 7 May? than 150%. That is a scandalous record on jobs in Wales. I am proud to be part of a coalition Government Stephen Crabb: I absolutely agree that it is businesses who have created the right foundations for a business-led across Wales, and particularly in north Wales, that are recovery to turn that around. leading the economic recovery, creating the jobs that are making such a difference to the lives of families up and Owen Smith: I think workers in Wales are heartily down Wales. What puts that at greatest risk is the sick of this Tory propaganda. The truth is that of the prospect of a Labour Government with no vision or 100,000 new jobs in Wales, as the Office for National plan for the Welsh economy. Statistics said last week, 90,000 are zero-hours contracts paying, on average, £300 less per week than full-time Albert Owen (Ynys Môn) (Lab): The unemployment jobs. As the Institute for Fiscal Studies said this morning, figures in my constituency have been coming down for the average family incomes of workers in Wales have the past 15 years, with the exception of the recession declined under this Government. Why does the Secretary 929 Oral Answers4 MARCH 2015 Oral Answers 930 of State not say the one thing he can to workers from Alun Cairns: I am happy to point to the survey by the Pwllheli to Pembrokeshire that would give them hope: British Chambers of Commerce that showed that 77% vote Labour? of businesses support a referendum on EU membership, and said: Stephen Crabb: If the hon. Gentleman thinks that is “British businesses remain determined to see a recalibrated any kind of boon for the Welsh economy, I point him to relationship between the UK and the rest of the European Union, the opinion poll conducted by BBC Wales which this with more powers exercised from Westminster rather than Brussels.” morning shows that a majority of voters across Wales, I hope that the hon. Lady supports that comment from even in the Labour heartlands—from Rhondda to Cynon the British Chambers of Commerce. Valley, from Caerphilly to Pontypridd—prefer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to remain as leader Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con): Does the rather than the Leader of the Opposition. Minister agree that businesses do not always speak with one voice on this issue? While big businesses are often EU Membership the most able to cope with the bureaucracy sent to us from Brussels and might want to stay within the European 2. Mark Tami (Alyn and Deeside) (Lab): What recent Union, very often small businesses do not? discussions he has had with business representatives in Wales on the importance of membership of the EU to Alun Cairns: My hon. Friend makes an extremely the Welsh economy. [907769] important point. Many of the people who are scaremongering now are the same people who wanted The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales to join the euro all those years ago. It is this party that (Alun Cairns): Membership of the European Union’s stands up for the British economy and stands up for single market is good for businesses in Wales. However, businesses, exactly as the British Chambers of Commerce, businesses tell me that the burdens and costs imposed the CBI and Airbus say in the quotes I have given. by the European Union are making it harder for them to grow. This Government are determined to renegotiate 13. [907780] Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab): In our membership with the European Union to get a 1998, I was successful in persuading my right hon. better deal for Wales and for UK businesses, and to put Friend the Member for Neath (Mr Hain) to accept that to the people. Denbighshire and Conwy into the bid for objective 1 European funding. In that time, Denbighshire has had Mark Tami: How many tens of thousands of jobs in a quarter of a billion pounds of private sector and Wales does the Minister think would be at risk if the public sector funding from Europe. If Britain pulls out UK left the EU? of the EU, my constituency and my county will lose £100 million over the next seven years. What does the Minister feel about that? Alun Cairns: A renegotiated European Union provides greater opportunities for businesses in Wales. I know that the hon. Gentleman shows great interest in Airbus, Alun Cairns: May I remind the hon. Gentleman that which says: European structural funds are aimed at the poorest parts of Europe? It is no mark of celebration to say that “Regardless of which decision the UK will make, we are strongly committed to our operations in the UK”. his constituency succeeded in winning that money. This Government have a long-term economic plan to turn The British Chambers of Commerce also supports that the economy around for the longer term rather than position.
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