Unemployment in the Vale of Glamorgan has fallen consistently over the last 12 months, and now stands at a rate of a little over 5%. For those people who remain unemployed, experience is an important attribute as they need it to try to get back into work. May we have...

Unemployment in the Vale of Glamorgan has fallen consistently over the last 12 months, and now stands at a rate of a little over 5%. For those people who remain unemployed, experience is an important attribute as they need it to try to get back into work. May we have...

(Translation) : The hon. Gentleman mentioned promoting the private sector to create jobs. Does he agree that it is disappointing that the Welsh Government have delayed establishing enterprise zones? They would have supported different parts of Wales and helped them to gain jobs.

(Translation) : The hon. Gentleman mentioned promoting the private sector to create jobs. Does he agree that it is disappointing that the Welsh Government have delayed establishing enterprise zones? They would have supported different parts of Wales and helped them to gain jobs.

I draw my hon. Friend’s and the Committee’s attention to figures on GCSE performance published today, which show that the gap between Wales and England has got even wider. In England, 58.3% of pupils achieve five good GCSEs, but in Wales that figure has fallen to 49.6%. Those data have...

I draw my hon. Friend’s and the Committee’s attention to figures on GCSE performance published today, which show that the gap between Wales and England has got even wider. In England, 58.3% of pupils achieve five good GCSEs, but in Wales that figure has fallen to 49.6%. Those data have...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

Will the hon. Lady give way?

It is a pleasure to contribute to this important debate and to serve under your chairmanship here in Wrexham, Mr Caton. It would be remiss of me not to mention the great rugby game tomorrow, and I am sure that the whole Committee backs the Welsh team in their effort...

It is a pleasure to contribute to this important debate and to serve under your chairmanship here in Wrexham, Mr Caton. It would be remiss of me not to mention the great rugby game tomorrow, and I am sure that the whole Committee backs the Welsh team in their effort...

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising that point, because I will be coming on to it, particularly in relation to the success or failure of the levers that have been made available to Wales over the past 10 or 11 years, particularly in relation to European aid....

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising that point, because I will be coming on to it, particularly in relation to the success or failure of the levers that have been made available to Wales over the past 10 or 11 years, particularly in relation to European aid....

I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. This debate is extremely important. The unemployment level and inactivity rate are difficulties that have dogged Wales for many years. Having heard the right hon. Member for Neath assess the situation earlier, I think it was somewhat rich of him to...

I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. This debate is extremely important. The unemployment level and inactivity rate are difficulties that have dogged Wales for many years. Having heard the right hon. Member for Neath assess the situation earlier, I think it was somewhat rich of him to...

I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. He has reminded us of the context and the legacy that was inherited by the incoming Conservative Government in 1979, which is not too dissimilar to the economic context and legacy that today’s Government have inherited, which they have been making...

I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. He has reminded us of the context and the legacy that was inherited by the incoming Conservative Government in 1979, which is not too dissimilar to the economic context and legacy that today’s Government have inherited, which they have been making...

I certainly will. I point to the Jaguar Land Rover investment in the midlands as one success. I spoke to Jaguar Land Rover in early June, when it was considering what options to take, and it was looking hard at south Wales. An enterprise zone had been established in the...

I certainly will. I point to the Jaguar Land Rover investment in the midlands as one success. I spoke to Jaguar Land Rover in early June, when it was considering what options to take, and it was looking hard at south Wales. An enterprise zone had been established in the...

I am grateful for that question because I can nail it once and for all. It could not have happened before then because local government reorganisation had not taken place. It was local government reorganisation under the Conservative party that allowed the new area—west Wales and the valleys—to be formed...

I am grateful for that question because I can nail it once and for all. It could not have happened before then because local government reorganisation had not taken place. It was local government reorganisation under the Conservative party that allowed the new area—west Wales and the valleys—to be formed...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making that point, but does he not recognise in the data that I have published that that also includes the second tranche of European aid? It goes to the end of 2008 and the first tranche finished in 2007. The impact of...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making that point, but does he not recognise in the data that I have published that that also includes the second tranche of European aid? It goes to the end of 2008 and the first tranche finished in 2007. The impact of...

The Thatcher years completely transformed the economy and structure in Wales in a positive way. I was nine years old when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, so it is hardly fair to start holding me to account for what happened when I was in school. This debate is about looking...

The Thatcher years completely transformed the economy and structure in Wales in a positive way. I was nine years old when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, so it is hardly fair to start holding me to account for what happened when I was in school. This debate is about looking...