THE TOWN’S MP had the privilege of speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday (March 16), taking the top slot at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
Mrs Lumley enjoyed the rare opportunity, for the second time this year, by kicking off the pre-Budget session with the first question of the day to David Cameron.
She asked: “With unemployment falling by over 60 per cent and over 5,000 new apprenticeships, Redditch is doing well, and I am holding my third jobs fair in the next few weeks with 25 companies taking part.
“Would my Rt Hon Friend agree with me, we’ve made a good start but we must not be complacent and through the Midlands Engine continue to get good quality jobs into our region?”
The Prime Minister said he very much agreed with Mrs Lumley and drew attention to the latest unemployment figures in the West Midlands where ‘we can see the claimant count has come down since 2010, by 91,000 people’.
He added: “Employment in our country is at a new record high of 31.4 million people compared with 2010, there are now 2,370,000 more people in work than when I became Prime Minister.”
Jobless figures show there are 215 18 to 24 year olds without work in Redditch, down by 25 over the same time last year, and 905 other claimants, down 65 on last year.
Mrs Lumley will hold third jobs fair in the Kingfisher Centre’s Worcester Square on Friday, May 13 between 10am and 3pm.