Productivity

Debate between Simon Hoare and Chris Leslie

Wednesday 17th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Chris Leslie]

I am sure the Chancellor is very much focused on being the Prime Minister in waiting. He is, of course, the eminent First Secretary of State, and I hope his junior Ministers occasionally manage to peek round his door and get the odd minute of his very busy time on these matters.

The mark of a Chancellor focused on our economic challenges would have been to engage a bit more thoughtfully in considering how best we can tackle Britain’s productivity problems, but he could not bring himself to mention productivity once during his 8,000-word Budget speech three months ago.

[Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con)]

The hon. Gentleman is being a little churlish. I am sure that we can all be accused of all sorts of things, but over the past five and a half years my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has focused with Exocet precision on making the economy grow, increasing jobs and getting us on the move again. Such churlishness belies the hon. Gentleman.

[Chris Leslie]

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman finds my remarks a little churlish. When did he last speak to the Chancellor about productivity?

--- Later in debate ---

[Simon Hoare]

Clearly, the hon. Gentleman is not a barrister. One should never ask a question to which one does not know the answer: last Thursday in the Lobby.

[Chris Leslie]

I am delighted to hear it. I only wish that the Chancellor would come and talk to the rest of us about productivity.