Economic Policy Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Economic Policy

Kate Green Excerpts
Monday 25th February 2013

(11 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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Of course we want to help people who are not currently working the hours that they want to work; we want to help them by helping businesses to expand to take on more people. As well as jobs going up by 888,000 in total and private sector jobs going up by 1 million or more, the number of hours worked in our economy has also gone up. Labour argues that it is all to do with under-employment, but that is not the case. Of course we want to help people who are working part time but want to go full time and people who want to work more hours. The best way to do that is to create an environment in which businesses want to expand and take people on.

Kate Green Portrait Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)
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Does the Chancellor not accept that the reason why gilts have not really moved in the wake of the downgrading is not a tribute to the Government’s economic policy, but is symptomatic of a deep pessimism about the long-term growth prospects for our economy?

George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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If that were the case, why would German rates be lower than ours?