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Jo Cox

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Point of Order
Tuesday 16th June 2015

(9 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. Improving our infrastructure and skills and ensuring that we have a competitive tax system can all help to drive up productivity.

Jo Cox Portrait Jo Cox (Batley and Spen) (Lab)
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21. According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, if productivity growth per worker was closer to 4%, our national debt would be around £350 billion lower by the end of this Parliament. The OECD confirmed that continued weak productivity could lead to a higher than expected budget deficit. Why does the Minister not realise that his failures on productivity explain why we are doing so badly on bringing down the deficit?

David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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I have said that productivity is important. One element of that is attracting more business investment into the UK. That requires a Government who are pro-business. I am not sure that the hon. Lady’s ambition to make the hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) Prime Minister will help.

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