Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Harrington of Watford and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 11th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Richard Harrington (Watford) (Con)]

11. What recent estimate he has made of the rate of employment.

[Danny Alexander]

Employment in the UK is increasing and, under this Government, has exceeded 30 million for the first time in our country’s history. Over the last year, the employment rate has risen 0.6 percentage points to 72.1%, higher than that in the US, Italy and France, and the EU28 and the G7 averages. In the last year, employment has grown faster in the UK than it has in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the EU28 and the G7.

[Danny Alexander]

My hon. Friend is right and he draws attention to one Member who told the CBI annual conference that our plan would lead to the disappearance of 1 million jobs—[Hon. Members: “Who was it?”] It was the Leader of the Opposition. In fact, employment has increased by 1.3 million, with more than 1.6 million jobs created in the private sector—proof, if anyone should need it, that our economic plan is working for the United Kingdom.

[Richard Harrington]

I know that the House will be delighted to hear that long-term unemployment in my constituency of Watford is down by 22%. Youth unemployment is down by 33% in the last 12 months alone, and the number of JSA claimants is also down by 27%. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the Government will stick to their long-term plan and continue to back Watford business with better infrastructure and lower taxes on jobs?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Harrington of Watford and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 13th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

Of course we have invited groups involving local authorities and local businesses to submit proposals for the establishment of local enterprise partnerships in the hon. Gentleman’s area and across the country to replace the regional development agencies. Local businesses will be very involved in those and will help to lead them. To judge from the earlier exchange involving other Members from the north-west, it seems there has been a positive welcome for those steps.

[Richard Harrington (Watford) (Con)]

T6. In view of the importance of this issue to Opposition Members and their colleagues in the other place, can the Minister confirm that there are no plans for the Government to introduce VAT on the sale of hardback books?

Public Spending

Debate between Lord Harrington of Watford and Danny Alexander

Thursday 17th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

A meeting would be better held with Ministers from the Department for Transport, who, I am sure, would be willing to agree to such a meeting.

[Richard Harrington (Watford) (Con)]

Will the Chief Secretary enlighten us as to the number of projects that were approved by the previous Government in the month before the general election?

[Danny Alexander]

A significant number of projects—with a significant cash value—were agreed in the last month before the election, and I will happily give the hon. Gentleman more details later.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Harrington of Watford and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 8th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Richard Harrington (Watford) (Con)]

4. If he will estimate Government expenditure on external consultants in (a) 1997 and (b) the last year for which figures are available.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander)]

Information on 1997 central Government expenditure on external consultancy is not held centrally, but records for 2007-08—the first year for which figures are available—show that spending on external consultants was £773 million in central Departments. In 2008-09 that rose to £1.1 billion for central Departments, or £1.57 billion when the whole of central Government is taken into account. Future expenditure will fall significantly as a result of the freeze on consultancy spending recently announced by the Government.

[Richard Harrington]

I thank my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary for that answer, and welcome him into the job. He should note that the figures show gross profligacy and a waste of taxpayers’ money that affects everybody in the House, all my constituents in Watford, and everybody in this country. I should very much like the Chief Secretary to assure us that that disgraceful waste of money will not happen again.

[Danny Alexander]

My hon. Friend is right about waste and inefficiency, and consultancy is not the only example. I can give him two or three more. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spent £12,000 on branded golf balls over three years. The Ministry of Defence spent £232,000 on eight paintings in a single year. The Department for Communities and Local Government has spent £6,000 on deluxe espresso coffee machines for nine new, but empty, regional fire control rooms. He can rest assured that the actions that we take will ensure that that kind of waste and inefficiency will never happen again.