To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the UK members are of the European Commission's High Level Advisory Group on Social Integration of Ethnic Minorities and their Full Participation in the Labour Market; what the mission statement is of the group; how much in expenses...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the UK members are of the European Commission's High Level Advisory Group on Social Integration of Ethnic Minorities and their Full Participation in the Labour Market; what the mission statement is of the group; how much in expenses...

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (James Plaskitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council was held on 1 December in Brussels. My honourable friends the Minister of State for Pension Reform (James Purnell) and...

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (James Plaskitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council was held on 1 December in Brussels. My honourable friends the Minister of State for Pension Reform (James Purnell) and...

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council was held on 1 December in Brussels. My hon. Friend, Minister of State for Pension Reform (James Purnell) and my hon. Friend, Minister for Employment Relations and Minister for London (Jim Fitzpatrick) represented the UK. Health and consumer affairs issues were...

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council was held on 1 December in Brussels. My hon. Friend, Minister of State for Pension Reform (James Purnell) and my hon. Friend, Minister for Employment Relations and Minister for London (Jim Fitzpatrick) represented the UK. Health and consumer affairs issues were...

Draft SIs on Asylum (First List of Safe Countries) (Amendment) and Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) (SI 2006/3317). Considered by Delegated Legislation Committee. (Minutes of proceedings at UP 7 2006-07).

Draft SIs on Asylum (First List of Safe Countries) (Amendment) and Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) (SI 2006/3317). Considered by Delegated Legislation Committee. (Minutes of proceedings at UP 7 2006-07).

Thank you, Mr. Olner. That was observant at this time of the morning. I present the debate with heartfelt sympathy for the Minister, who has been dragged away from his weekly five-a-side football match, in which he excels. Today, he has been given the opportunity to excel in examining a...

Thank you, Mr. Olner. That was observant at this time of the morning. I present the debate with heartfelt sympathy for the Minister, who has been dragged away from his weekly five-a-side football match, in which he excels. Today, he has been given the opportunity to excel in examining a...

I echo all the points that the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) has made, and I congratulate him on bringing this important debate to Parliament today. The debate is particularly important given that Norwich Union, which is close to the hon. Gentleman’s heart, has shed 4,000 jobs. While...

I echo all the points that the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) has made, and I congratulate him on bringing this important debate to Parliament today. The debate is particularly important given that Norwich Union, which is close to the hon. Gentleman’s heart, has shed 4,000 jobs. While...

My hon. Friend knows about the importance of the sector to us in Wales, with 30,000 jobs based in the south-east corner of the country. Does my hon. Friend agree that with the inevitable growth of offshoring, a far more robust regulatory regime is needed? The hon. Member for Norwich,...

My hon. Friend knows about the importance of the sector to us in Wales, with 30,000 jobs based in the south-east corner of the country. Does my hon. Friend agree that with the inevitable growth of offshoring, a far more robust regulatory regime is needed? The hon. Member for Norwich,...

I start by congratulating the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on securing this debate and on introducing it in his customary style, which is always a delight to listen to. I doubt that any other Member of the House could bring Amicus, Norwich City football club and Chomsky...

I start by congratulating the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on securing this debate and on introducing it in his customary style, which is always a delight to listen to. I doubt that any other Member of the House could bring Amicus, Norwich City football club and Chomsky...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Ceredigion (Mark Williams) for his informed intervention. The points that he makes are right. Customer satisfaction and local knowledge are important. Returning to the Norwich Union example, the research that the company undertook before outsourcing its jobs discovered that 51...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Ceredigion (Mark Williams) for his informed intervention. The points that he makes are right. Customer satisfaction and local knowledge are important. Returning to the Norwich Union example, the research that the company undertook before outsourcing its jobs discovered that 51...

I apologise for arriving late—I was detained on my way here. Does the Minister agree that call centres could and should improve their reputation and acceptability, and that one way of doing so would be for the Government and the industry to encourage more people to sign up to the...

I apologise for arriving late—I was detained on my way here. Does the Minister agree that call centres could and should improve their reputation and acceptability, and that one way of doing so would be for the Government and the industry to encourage more people to sign up to the...

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr. Olner, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on securing this opportunity to debate the important matter of call centres. I would normally also thank him for the opportunity to address the Chamber,...

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr. Olner, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on securing this opportunity to debate the important matter of call centres. I would normally also thank him for the opportunity to address the Chamber,...

The hon. Gentleman raises a similar point to that made by the hon. Member for Solihull, who suggested that the polarity should be reversed and that people should volunteer to be called, rather than excluding themselves. I shall come to that later, but there is a method through which people...

The hon. Gentleman raises a similar point to that made by the hon. Member for Solihull, who suggested that the polarity should be reversed and that people should volunteer to be called, rather than excluding themselves. I shall come to that later, but there is a method through which people...

Will the Minister elaborate on why he thinks that offshoring call centre services has worked as well as those services in Britain? How will he protect the data out there? As I said, there is no legislation to stop the flow of information. A server in the United Kingdom may...

Will the Minister elaborate on why he thinks that offshoring call centre services has worked as well as those services in Britain? How will he protect the data out there? As I said, there is no legislation to stop the flow of information. A server in the United Kingdom may...

On my hon. Friend’s latter point, I mentioned a moment ago that call centre companies are bound by the 1998 Act. The regulator is obliged to monitor and enforce that Act. That is why I mentioned that the Banking Code Standards Board went to India to examine eight Indian call...

On my hon. Friend’s latter point, I mentioned a moment ago that call centre companies are bound by the 1998 Act. The regulator is obliged to monitor and enforce that Act. That is why I mentioned that the Banking Code Standards Board went to India to examine eight Indian call...

I know that the Financial Services Authority has done a study in Mumbai and Delhi. Have there, in the Minister’s experience, been any cases of people having been fined for breaches of the 1998 Act?

I know that the Financial Services Authority has done a study in Mumbai and Delhi. Have there, in the Minister’s experience, been any cases of people having been fined for breaches of the 1998 Act?

I shall come to that later. If I do not, I shall investigate and write to my hon. Friend in due course. The Banking Code Standards Board is the British regulator empowered to monitor and enforce. If I do not have the relevant information in my speech, I shall get...

I shall come to that later. If I do not, I shall investigate and write to my hon. Friend in due course. The Banking Code Standards Board is the British regulator empowered to monitor and enforce. If I do not have the relevant information in my speech, I shall get...

As a follow-up to what my hon. Friend just said about companies coming back, does he have any information about why they come back, and does their service improve because of that?

As a follow-up to what my hon. Friend just said about companies coming back, does he have any information about why they come back, and does their service improve because of that?

My hon. Friend makes a strong point. However, the Government signed up last year to European Union standards in the information and consultation directive, as recommended by the DTI, so we are up with our European partners. Obviously, we always advise best practice, and companies that look after their staff...

My hon. Friend makes a strong point. However, the Government signed up last year to European Union standards in the information and consultation directive, as recommended by the DTI, so we are up with our European partners. Obviously, we always advise best practice, and companies that look after their staff...

May I tempt the Minister in another direction, which is precisely relevant? Several Members have made the point that the unions are not subject to negotiations. As an ex-trade union activist, does the Minister understand the feeling of employees and trade union representatives when they are told about changes, or...

May I tempt the Minister in another direction, which is precisely relevant? Several Members have made the point that the unions are not subject to negotiations. As an ex-trade union activist, does the Minister understand the feeling of employees and trade union representatives when they are told about changes, or...