Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Sharma and David T C Davies

Monday 13th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con)]

15. What assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of unemployment in the UK since 2010.

[The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma)]

The unemployment rate is at its lowest since the 1970s. We have record employment with more people in work than ever before, and wages have been rising faster than inflation for 13 months in a row.

[David T. C. Davies]

The latest figures do indeed show that Britain’s economy is booming, unlike those of the rest of the European Union. Do the Minister and his colleagues on the ministerial team agree that the prospect of Brexit, with or without a deal, is driving forward the British economy and confidence in it?

[Alok Sharma]

My hon. Friend is of course right to point out that, despite any uncertainty around Brexit, the British economy is in good shape. We do have one of the highest employment rates in the EU, Britain is the No. 1 destination in Europe for foreign direct investment, and the IMF projects that our economy will grow faster than Germany’s this year. Unlike the Opposition, Conservative Members believe in supporting businesses and employers.