§ 12. Mr. SumbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the north-west region have been placed into work by the Employment Service in the last 12 months.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythMore than a quarter of a million people have been placed into jobs by the Employment Service in the north-west.
§ Mr. SumbergMay I pay tribute not only to the Employment Service but to the people of the north-west, whose businesses are coming through the recession with 702 success and determination? Has my hon. Friend noted the silence on the Opposition Benches? Is not good news for Britain and Lancashire bad news for Labour?
§ Mr. ForsythI entirely agree with my hon. Friend. Opposition Members are the first people in history to shoot the messenger when he brings good news. The north-west is benefiting from the recovery more than any other part of the country. That was demonstrated by the Lloyd's bank review, which showed full order books there at a better level than in any other part of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Bryan DaviesEven before the collapse of Ferranti and the loss of jobs at British Aerospace, only one school leaver out of 12 in my constituency could get a job. What does the Minister say to the other 11?
§ Mr. ForsythI would tell those youngsters looking for jobs that they should not listen to the Jeremiahs on the Opposition Benches but should recognise that 250,000 people have been placed in work in the north-west in the past year, that the Lloyd's bank survey showed that more than a third of employers expect to take people on in the coming years, and that we shall get more jobs only by being more competitive and rejecting the Labour party's policies.