Renewable Energy: Solar

Debate between Lord Bach and Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

Wednesday 14th October 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bach (Lab)]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that the Government’s boast earlier about today’s employment figures will be treated with at best ridicule and at worst the contempt that it deserves in the city of Leicester and the county of Leicestershire, where 900 hard-working workers are set to lose their jobs? This seems to be a direct result of government policy. Is the Minister not a little bit ashamed at what the Government’s policies, or policy aims, have already come to? What are the Government going to do to help?

[Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth]

My Lords, perhaps I may first correct the noble Lord. Most of the jobs that are lost are those of installers who are not based in Leicestershire—I know the city of Leicester very well. However, it is important to note that the Government are very alive to this fact. I am surprised that the noble Lord—in all the circumstances of the success of the market economy, though contradicted by the present leadership of the Labour Party—does not welcome the delivery of some of the best employment and unemployment figures, with unemployment coming down and employment going up. I would have thought that the noble Lord would welcome that; it is very significant.