Full Employment

Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 4 April 2005.

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Photo of Adrian Bailey Adrian Bailey Labour/Co-operative, West Bromwich West 2:30, 4 April 2005

if he will make a statement on his Department's progress towards achieving full employment.

Photo of Maria Eagle Maria Eagle The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

We have made good progress: by ending boom and bust economics, making work pay and promoting active labour market policies, we have achieved the highest employment rate of the seven major industrialised countries and one of the highest employment rates in our history. We are determined to move forward towards our ambition of employment opportunities for all. Our five-year strategy sets out our long-term aspiration of an 80 per cent. employment rate, which would smash all employment records and give us the highest employment rate of any major country.

Photo of Adrian Bailey Adrian Bailey Labour/Co-operative, West Bromwich West

I thank the Minister for her reply. My constituency historically had high unemployment, but since 1997 that has dropped by 41 per cent. and about 860 people have got jobs through the new deal. Recently, I was approached by a local civil servant who was concerned about speculation that there might be cuts in the Jobcentre Plus programme and the impact they might have on future Government employment policies. Can my hon. Friend give me her reassurance that under this Government, those cuts will not take place?

Photo of Maria Eagle Maria Eagle The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Under this Government we are extending the help we give people to ensure that unemployment comes down further. The only parties committed to cutting the new deal and privatising Jobcentre Plus are the Opposition parties.