division_name: Opposition Day &#8212; [un-allotted half day] &#8212; Unemployment
motion: <p class="" pid="a.835.2/1" pwmotiontext="yes">I beg to move,</p>
  
  <p class="" pid="a.835.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House believes that the Government&#8217;s policies of cutting spending and raising taxes too far and too fast have resulted in the UK economy flat-lining for 12 months, well before the recent eurozone crisis; notes that unemployment has reached a 17-year high and over-50s unemployment has risen sharply; further notes that slower growth and higher unemployment makes it harder to get the deficit down and that the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts a further rise in unemployment to 8.7 per cent., a rise in the benefits bill of &#163;29 billion, and an increase in projected borrowing of &#163;158 billion; agrees with the IMF&#8217;s warning that &#8216;consolidating too quickly will hurt the recovery and worsen job prospects&#8217; and that the Government should &#8216;have a heightened readiness to respond, particularly if it looks like the economy is headed for a prolonged period of weak growth and high unemployment&#8217;; and, in light of the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts published on <phrase class="date" code="2011-11-29">29 November 2011</phrase>, calls on the Government to reconsider its refusal to adopt the Opposition&#8217;s five point plan for jobs which includes creating 100,000 jobs for young people and building 25,000 affordable homes using funds raised from a tax on bank bonuses, bringing forward long-term investment projects, temporarily reversing the January 2011 VAT rise, a one-year cut in VAT to 5 per cent. on home improvements, and a one-year national insurance tax break for every small firm which takes on extra workers.</p>
  
  <p pid="a.887.1/1" pwmotiontext="yes"><i>Question put forthwith, </i>That the Question be now put.</p>
  
  <p class="italic" pid="a.887.1/2" pwmotiontext="yes">Question agreed to.</p>
  
  <p class="italic" pid="a.887.1/3" pwmotiontext="yes">Main  Question accordingly put</p>
  
  <p class="italic" pid="a.887.1/4" pwmotiontext="yes">The House divided:</p>
  
  <p pid="a.887.1/5" pwmotiontext="yes">Ayes 233, Noes 307.</p>