UK Economy (Competitiveness)

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury – in the House of Commons at 10:30 am on 26 January 2006.

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Photo of Des Browne Des Browne Chief Secretary, HM Treasury, The Chief Secretary to the Treasury 10:30, 26 January 2006

My hon. Friend is entirely correct. The challenge for the Government is to increase productivity year on year while increasing the number of people in work. We have achieved that to such an extent that there has been a record increase in the number of people in employment. I must remind Opposition Members that that contrasts with the record levels of unemployment when they were in charge of the economy.