Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Alun Michael (Labour). It was answered on Wednesday, 25 April 2012 on behalf of the Wales Office.

Economic Growth

Question: If the Secretary of State thinks this Government are interested in growth, she is living in cloud cuckoo land. Is she not keeping up with today's news that shows that the Chancellor's obsessive intention of cutting too deep and too fast is taking us back into recession?

Answer: No. I have to say that today's news is disappointing but not totally unexpected. Britain cannot be immune to what is happening on our doorstep. For example, Italy, Holland, Ireland, Belgium and Portugal are already in recession. But let us remember that since the coalition took office in 2010, more than 630,000 private sector jobs have been created, more than outstripping job losses in the public sector, and private sector employment in Wales rose by 12,000 between quarter 3 in 2010 and quarter 3 in 2011.

Secondary information