Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Fuller Excerpts

Monday 11th July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Justin Tomlinson]

That is yet another sign of just how fundamentally strong our economy is, which is helping us to deliver record numbers of people in employment.

[Richard Fuller (Bedford) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I did not study geography at university, but the hon. Gentleman’s constituency is a little way away from East Anglia.

[Richard Fuller]

indicated dissent.

[Mr Speaker]

I am in a generous mood. I have known the hon. Gentleman for 30 years, and if he wants to persuade me that Bedford and Kempston is a hop, skip and a jump away from the constituency of the hon. Member for North West Norfolk (Sir Henry Bellingham), he has a taxing task, but let us hear it.

[Richard Fuller]

I am very grateful for your indulgence, Mr Speaker. As a lifelong watcher of Anglia Television from the heart of Bedford, I can say that we are very proudly members of East Anglia. In Bedford, a small town, we have only small employers—we do not have a large private sector employer. What steps are the Government taking to encourage small businesses to take on young people and others who are unemployed?

[Mr Speaker]

I would never have done anything like what the hon. Gentleman has just done when I was a Back Bencher.