WORCESTER MP Robin Walker says he welcomes the ambition to achieve "full employment" across the country - and has highlighted the city's success as a model for others to follow.

The Conservative took part in a House of Commons debate about the economy, telling fellow MPs about Worcester's steady fall in unemployment.

Back in 2010 there were 2,700 people claiming jobseeker's allowance in Worcester, but that figure has declined over the years and now stand at just under 1,300.

During the Queen's Speech it emerged that a bill will be drafted aimed specifically at job creation.

Mr Walker, who is now challenging decision-makers and employers to create 15,000 additional apprenticeships across the county by 2020, also said that demanding target must not result in the quality of them being watered down.

He said: "I welcome the ambition to deliver full employment - in that respect, the progress we are seeing in Worcester is a good example to the rest of the country. "Before I became an MP in 2010 we had 2,700 people unemployed in Worcester and since then, unemployment has declined to less than 1,300 today.

"Youth unemployment in the city has fallen by almost two thirds and the number of apprenticeships has doubled.

"However, we need to see a continuing increase in both the number and the quality of apprenticeships.

"I was pleased that the (Queen's) Speech included plans to increase their number from two million to three million in the country as a whole.

"I have challenged Worcestershire, which last year celebrated hitting its target of 10,000 apprenticeships, to achieve a total of at least 15,000 in the years to come."

He told the Commons that he felt the three key aims would be reducing red tape for small employers, getting "finance flowing" to them and delivering on the promised reform of business rates.

The Government has already committed to a review of business rates before a deadline of 2017, following years of concern that the current system is out of date and too inflexible.

Mr Walker served on the influential business, innovation and skills committee during his last term in parliament, which made the recommendation to ministers for a "root-and-branch" reform.