Employment Law (Beecroft Report) Debate

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough

Main Page: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)

Speaker’s Statement

Employment Law (Beecroft Report)

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Excerpts

Points of Order
Monday 21st May 2012

(12 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Mark Prisk Portrait Mr Prisk
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Again, surely the point is to involve experts and ask them for their evidence, and then to make a decision. Sadly, I detect among the Opposition a wish to make up policy and then to try to make it fit the evidence. That is not how we do things.

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Portrait Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough) (Con)
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May I reassure the Minister, not least on behalf of many of my younger constituents, who are unemployed, that Government Members strongly welcome these labour market reforms? Will he take with a pinch of salt the obvious opportunism of the Labour party, which, while in office, doubled the number of households not in work and doubled the number that had never worked?

Mark Prisk Portrait Mr Prisk
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That is the point. Striking a balance is crucial. Not only is my hon. Friend absolutely right but youth unemployment rose by 40% under the previous Government. The Opposition claim that they care about this issue, but caring is not enough; we need to get the law right to ensure that those on the edge of the labour market have the chance to work. That is what we will do.

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