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The Budget

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s point. It gives me the opportunity to say that some of the other things that we have done in the public sector, which I know are difficult for public sector workers, such as the two-year pay freeze that we have imposed and the increase in pension contributions over the next few years, are measures to help us ensure that there are fewer redundancies and a smaller reduction in headcount. The precise impact in different constituencies will depend on the work force decisions of particular public service employers, who will have to work that through, but there are, of course, procedures and policies in place, organised by the Department for Work and Pensions, to support communities affected by large-scale redundancies in both the public and the private sector, and to help people get the best possible access to support to get back to work. The hon. Gentleman will also know that some of the economic development and other powers that he is talking about are devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government, who I hope will seek to emulate some of the things that we have put in place in England, such as the regional growth fund, which is targeted support, particularly for the areas that are most affected in the way that the hon. Gentleman suggests. I propose that he make that point to the Welsh Assembly Government.