Richard has welcomed latest official figures which show the UK economy grew by 4.8 per cent in the second quarter (April to June) of 2021 following the easing of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.
The official ONS figures show there have been increases in services, production and construction output over the quarter with the largest contributors to this increase from wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food service activities and education.
Commenting on these figures, Richard Fuller, MP for North East Bedfordshire and Member of the Business Select Committee, said:
This quarterly growth of 4.8% was the fastest among the G7 countries and shows that the government's Plan for Jobs is working and the economy is showing strong signs of recovery.
The Plan for Jobs is an ambitious plan to help people back into work, earn more and gain the right skills so they can compete for the jobs of tomorrow. This plan - set out by the Chancellor last summer - aimed to focus the whole of the UK Government on protecting, supporting and creating jobs across the country.
The Plan for Jobs includes policies such as Kickstart - a scheme to fully fund and create 250,000 jobs for young people at risk of long-term unemployment and Restart – a three-year long scheme that offers up to 12 months of intensive, tailored employment support to increase the prospects of the long-term unemployed on Universal Credit to find a job.
Other measures include tripling the number of Traineeships for 16-24 year olds, giving SMEs £3,000 when they take on an apprentice of any age and a Lifetime Skills Guarantee so that any adult without a Level 3 qualification will be fully funded by the government to access free L3 courses, worth £3,500 each. Skills Bootcamps have also been extended providing short, flexible training courses lasting 12 to 16 weeks for adults wanting to upskill and retrain in digital, construction and technical skills.
More information on the measures in the Plan for Jobs can be found here.
