Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Crabb and Andrew Selous

Monday 17th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) (Con)]

1. What progress she has made on reducing the number of illegal small boat crossings in the channel.

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

6. What progress she has made on reducing the number of illegal small boat crossings in the channel.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Crabb and Andrew Selous

Wednesday 9th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

8. What recent assessment he has made of trends in levels of employment in Wales.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Crabb)]

Our long-term economic plan is working—and it is working in Wales. We are rebalancing the economy to give the private sector confidence to invest and create jobs. In the last year alone, we have seen more than 47,000 new private sector jobs created in Wales.

[Andrew Selous]

Will the Minister update us on what has happened to youth unemployment in Wales under this Government, given that it rose by 75% under the last Government?

[Stephen Crabb]

My hon. Friend is exactly right; he knows a lot about this issue. There was an appalling increase of more than 75% in youth unemployment on the watch of the last Labour Government. I am pleased to say that in the past four years, we have seen youth unemployment fall by 31% in Wales. We are bringing down unemployment among young people.

Fairness and Inequality

Debate between Stephen Crabb and Andrew Selous

Tuesday 11th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Crabb]

The content was marked by the absence of a really attractive vision for what the Welsh economy could be. I was sitting expectantly, hoping that the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr would set out a vision of what small-country, successful economics might look like under a Plaid Cymru Administration, but we heard precious little about that. I hope that some of his colleagues will be able to enlighten us on that. Instead, there was a familiar return to the talk of more spending, more borrowing and more debt—exactly the things that will shackle the people of Wales and their children for generations to come with more economic problems.

[Andrew Selous]

Does the Minister agree that there is nothing fair at all about getting the next generation to pay even more of this generation’s debts?

[Stephen Crabb]

My hon. Friend is exactly right. There is nothing fair, progressive or just about loading future generations with more debt and the consequences of debt. If we are a responsible political generation in the House, we will take care to ensure that our decisions minimise the impact on future generations.

This country continues to face deep-seated, long-standing economic challenges. The UK underwent an economic trauma between 2008 and 2010, and we are still living with the consequences. As a result of that trauma in those two years, there was a huge destruction of value in the economy, and a destruction of wealth, and we are still recovering from that, even in 2014. Although it is difficult for Opposition parties to admit, the Government have made difficult, challenging decisions and taken practical steps to reduce the deficit and restore stability and order to our national finances, which is the starting point—the foundation—for tackling all the other social and economic issues that the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr and others have begun to raise in the House this afternoon. As a coalition Government, we are ambitious that the emerging economic recovery should be a recovery for all parts of the UK, including Scotland and Wales, and for all people from all walks of life in our country. That is at the heart of our vision of fairness as a coalition Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Crabb and Andrew Selous

Wednesday 28th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

15. What recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on increasing private sector employment in Wales.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Crabb)]

The Government have taken action to protect the economy and have set out a comprehensive strategy to achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth. Because of this action, we have seen over 1 million private sector jobs created across the UK since we came to power. [Interruption.]

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Selous]

In two years, this Government have created 1.2 million net new private sector jobs—nearly double the amount that the previous Government created in 10 years. How have we done in Wales?

[Stephen Crabb]

I am very pleased to inform the House that we are seeing similar good progress in Wales. The House of Commons Library tells me that an estimated 60,000 additional private sector jobs have been created in Wales since May 2010.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Crabb and Andrew Selous

Wednesday 17th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

4. What steps he is taking to promote enterprise zones in Wales.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Crabb)]

I am strongly committed to working with the Welsh Government to encourage private sector investment and growth in Wales, including promoting enterprise zones in Wales.

[Andrew Selous]

Is it not important to have a much closer working relationship between the Governments in London and in Cardiff in respect of enterprise zones, so that we can make faster progress in creating jobs and wealth in Wales?

[Stephen Crabb]

My hon. Friend is exactly right: it is vital that the two Governments—the UK Government and the Welsh Government in Cardiff—work together on a range of issues, not least the success of enterprise zones. I am committed to doing that, and I look forward very much to my first meeting with the Welsh business Minister, Edwina Hart, which is to take place shortly.