§ 11. Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the outward divestment of jobs from the United Kingdom to (a) other countries in the European Union and (b) the rest of the world.
§ Mr. David HuntI agree with that part of paragraph 78 of the Employment Select Committee's report published on 10 February which refers to the hon. Gentleman's question.
§ Mr. FlynnDoes not the Minister feel like someone trying to fill up a bath without noticing that the plug has been pulled out? Again and again, he counts the jobs that are coming into the country, but never does he count the jobs that are being siphoned out. How will he prevent British Telecom and British Gas from scouring the sweatshops of the far east trying to peddle our British jobs to those firms that pay the worst wages in the world? I am not a Prime Minister, so I cannot accuse the Minister of peddling untruths, but is he peddling British jobs abroad?
§ Mr. HuntThe hon. Gentleman obviously has not read the Select Committee report. If he had, he would see that I have already directly answered the point that he has just made. I shall continue to praise the efforts of the United Kingdom's work force in the past 15 years in bringing to this country nearly 4,000 inward investment projects involving half a million jobs. That is a record of which we have every right to be proud.
§ Mr. Duncan SmithWill my right hon. Friend join me in regretting today's announcement by London International of the plant closure in my constituency and urge the company to think again? If its decision remains unchanged, will my right hon. Friend make every effort and take every measure to ensure that all those who are unfortunate enough to lose their jobs as a result will be found new jobs?
§ Mr. HuntI will of course talk to the local training and enterprise council and Employment Service branch to make sure that everything possible is done in the direction to which my hon. Friend referred.