Tuesday Volume 656 19 March 2019 No. 272 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 19 March 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 909 19 MARCH 2019 910 The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial House of Commons Strategy (Greg Clark): The best way to support people is to make sure that they have a job. Today it was Tuesday 19 March 2019 announced that more people are employed in our country than ever before. Unemployment has fallen to 3.9%, its The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock lowest since 1975. Our pay rose in real terms over the past year by 1.3%, and over the past year 96% of those PRAYERS new jobs have been full time. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Judith Cummins: Too often, workers have eight or 10-hour contracts, but are then expected to work up BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS to 60 hours when their employer demands it, with no flexibility in return. One concrete step that the Government ANSWERS TO ADDRESSES could take to protect these insecure workers is to The VICE-CHAMBERLAIN OF THE HOUSEHOLD reported ensure that contracts reflect the hours that people to the House a message from the Queen in reply to loyal normally work. Will the Minister commit to legislating and dutiful addresses from this House. for this? I have received your address about His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales on the occasion of his 70th birthday. It gives me great pleasure to convey to the Prince of Greg Clark: I am slightly surprised to hear that from Wales the loyal and affectionate sentiments you express. the hon. Lady because she knows that we have taken I have received your Humble Address praying that I measures to give workers the right to request that stable should appoint Gareth Davies to the Office of Comptroller contract. She will know that in her own area Bradford and Auditor General. I will comply with your request. Council is a very good exponent of that. It was advertising last night for casual commis chefs, saying that hours are Speaker’s Statement offered on a “casual basis” and may be withdrawn by either party, giving a minimum of two hours’ notice. If Mr Speaker: I would like to make a statement about she wants those rights to be extended, I suggest that she security and access to the parliamentary estate. It is talk to Bradford Council first. likely that there will be a strike of parliamentary security staff this Wednesday 20 March. Industrial action is due to begin this evening, Tuesday 19 March, and to conclude Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): Can the Business on the morning of Thursday 21 March. During this Secretary confirm that there are more people in our time, access to the parliamentary estate for non-passholders nation in secure employment than ever before in our will be extremely limited. history and that the number of people on zero- hours contracts has fallen by 100,000 in the past year Parliament’s priority will be to ensure that the business alone? of both Houses is unaffected. Priority access will be provided to Select Committee witnesses of both Houses and civil servants who are supporting business in both Greg Clark: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Chambers. Obviously, it is a great source of confidence to people All security staff are highly valued and an essential that they can obtain a job. It is the case that employers part of the parliamentary community. Parliamentary across the country value the flexibility that having a authorities are continuing to engage constructively with flexible workforce gives. In fact, again, the Labour the union over the issues that were on the ballot and leader of Gateshead Council said that hope to avoid the strike taking place. Should this action take place, I would like to reassure Members that security “many zero-hours contracts employees” will in no way be compromised. Security is everyone’s on the council responsibility. I should remind colleagues that it is “don’t want to be full time employees and prefer to consider imperative that we all wear our security passes at all themselves as self-employed”, time when on the parliamentary estate. Anyone failing to display a security pass is liable to challenge and may so this is a practice that is pursued right across the be required to obtain a day pass. country. Rachel Reeves (Leeds West) (Lab): Some 1.6 million Oral Answers to Questions workers are paid exactly the national living wage of £7.83 an hour, and a further 3 million people are paid within 50 pence of it. In the spring statement last week, BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL the Chancellor said that the ultimate objective of this STRATEGY Government was The Secretary of State was asked— “ending low pay in the UK”—[Official Report, 13 March 2019; Vol. 656, c. 349.] Insecure Work The usual definition of a national living wage is 66% of 1. Judith Cummins (Bradford South) (Lab): What median earnings, but the remit of the Low Pay Commission steps he is taking to support people in insecure work. is only to get to 60%. Are the Government now committing [909864] to end low pay? If so, when? 911 Oral Answers 19 MARCH 2019 Oral Answers 912 Greg Clark: The hon. Lady should recognise the had, they would have heard how people’s status as commitment to 60% and the progress that has been contracted-out workers is a fundamental cause of their made towards that, which meant a very big pay increase insecurity. for many of the lowest paid workers in the country. She We have heard fine words from the Secretary of State will remember that the Chancellor announced a review about workers’ rights recently, yet here is an example of in his statement last week to look into where we go workers being forced into precarious contracts under beyond that, using international best practice to inform his very nose. Will he outline what he is doing to put his such a decision. I hope that the Business, Energy and own house in order to help resolve this dispute? In the Industrial Strategy Committee, which the hon. Lady process, will he learn the lesson that outsourcing is the chairs, will want to contribute to that review. cause of insecurity and poverty pay? Maggie Throup (Erewash) (Con): Matthew Taylor’s Greg Clark: I value very highly the work of all the recent review of modern working practices indicated staff in my Department. I met some of the staff she has that a blanket ban on zero-hours contracts would create mentioned, who were affected. I asked my officials to more cliff edges for employers and workers. Does my review the comparable levels of pay that such staff right hon. Friend agree with that analysis? receive, and those pay rates have been increased as a result. It was a good and constructive discussion with Greg Clark: I do agree with that analysis and with my much valued colleagues. what my hon. Friend has said. The conclusion of the panel in that completely independent report was: Leaving the EU: Businesses in Scotland “To ban zero hours contracts…would negatively impact many more people than it helped.” 2. Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP): What recent It is right to ensure that there is an ability to request a discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the stable contract and that people are not banned from Exchequer on fiscal support for businesses based in working for different employers, but to remove these Scotland making preparations for the UK leaving the contracts all together would be against the practice of EU. [909865] many employers, including councils. 8. Angela Crawley (Lanark and Hamilton East) (SNP): 16. [909880] Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Brighton, Kemptown) What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor (Lab/Co-op): The National Union of Rail, Maritime of the Exchequer on fiscal support for businesses based and Transport Workers continues to receive evidence of in Scotland making preparations for the UK leaving seafarer pay as low as £3.60 an hour, including on the EU. [909872] UK-registered vessels. Employers in the ferry sector are continuing to reflag their ships. When will the Government take action to ensure that the national The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial minimum wage provides a basic safety net for seafarers’ Strategy (Greg Clark): I have regular discussions with pay, including on international routes? the Chancellor about support for businesses in Scotland, as well as in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. As the hon. Member for Glasgow North (Patrick Grady) Greg Clark: I share the hon. Gentleman’s concerns. will know,last Wednesday we announced up to £260 million In the last few weeks, I have been discussing with the for the borderlands growth deal, which is a cross-party—and trade unions how any loopholes that might be being clearly a cross-border—partnership that has been hailed exploited should be closed. It is the intention of everyone as a game changer by all the bodies involved, including across the House that the law should be obeyed and that the Scottish Government. As the hon. Gentleman knows, workers should be paid a fair rate for their work. the best way to support business in Scotland is to end the uncertainty that comes from Brexit and to join Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con): Does the Government in agreeing a deal.