My right honourable friend the Minister of State, Employment Relations and Postal Affairs, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Pat McFadden) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. Following my Statement of 22 May 2008 (col. 32WS), I am today launching a consultation on the implementation of the directive...

My right honourable friend the Minister of State, Employment Relations and Postal Affairs, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Pat McFadden) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. Following my Statement of 22 May 2008 (col. 32WS), I am today launching a consultation on the implementation of the directive...

Following my statement of 22 May 2008, Official Report, column 32WS, I am today launching a consultation on the implementation of the Directive on conditions for temporary (agency) workers—Directive 2008/104/EC—the "Agency Workers Directive", which was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 5 December 2008. Copies of...

Following my statement of 22 May 2008, Official Report, column 32WS, I am today launching a consultation on the implementation of the Directive on conditions for temporary (agency) workers—Directive 2008/104/EC—the "Agency Workers Directive", which was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 5 December 2008. Copies of...

My Lords, my noble friend is right. You cannot advertise a job vacancy and say only people of one nationality need apply, or indeed one race, or one sex.

My Lords, my noble friend is right. You cannot advertise a job vacancy and say only people of one nationality need apply, or indeed one race, or one sex.

Lords statement on the current industrial action at the Lindsey oil refinery and elsewhere in the country.

Lords statement on the current industrial action at the Lindsey oil refinery and elsewhere in the country.

Yes, my Lords, they are.

Yes, my Lords, they are.

My Lords, does the Minister therefore mean that the Italian workers at this refinery are being the paid the same wages as the British ones?

My Lords, does the Minister therefore mean that the Italian workers at this refinery are being the paid the same wages as the British ones?

My Lords, the point is they are not paying the national minimum wage in this case. They are paying the same rates as those that have been collectively bargained to benefit other workers at the refinery. As a general observation, of course we can establish this; were there a suspicion...

My Lords, the point is they are not paying the national minimum wage in this case. They are paying the same rates as those that have been collectively bargained to benefit other workers at the refinery. As a general observation, of course we can establish this; were there a suspicion...

My Lords, is the national minimum wage that applies that of the UK or that of the subcontractor? If it is the subcontractor’s, or in either case, what powers do we have to check that it really is paying that national minimum wage, because we presumably do not see the...

My Lords, is the national minimum wage that applies that of the UK or that of the subcontractor? If it is the subcontractor’s, or in either case, what powers do we have to check that it really is paying that national minimum wage, because we presumably do not see the...

My Lords, I declare that I am a member of Unite. I completely agree with my noble friend that we must all be temperate in what we say, particularly as negotiations continue. However, I understood him to say that one of the contentious points was that British workers were not...

My Lords, I declare that I am a member of Unite. I completely agree with my noble friend that we must all be temperate in what we say, particularly as negotiations continue. However, I understood him to say that one of the contentious points was that British workers were not...

My Lords, is it not rather mischievous to make capital out of the phrase ““British jobs for British workers””? Surely it would have been far more dangerous and controversial if he had said ““British workers for British jobs””, but the Prime Minister never said that.

My Lords, is it not rather mischievous to make capital out of the phrase ““British jobs for British workers””? Surely it would have been far more dangerous and controversial if he had said ““British workers for British jobs””, but the Prime Minister never said that.

My Lords, so much so is it the case that British workers were able to apply for these jobs that the subcontractor undertaking this work, prior to the letting of this contract to the Italian firm, was another subcontractor which, for whatever reason—I am not ascribing fault to either side—was...

My Lords, so much so is it the case that British workers were able to apply for these jobs that the subcontractor undertaking this work, prior to the letting of this contract to the Italian firm, was another subcontractor which, for whatever reason—I am not ascribing fault to either side—was...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. We must all expect to have our phrases and soundbites misused from time to time, and taken up like a stick with which to beat us. Such are the trials of political life.

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. We must all expect to have our phrases and soundbites misused from time to time, and taken up like a stick with which to beat us. Such are the trials of political life.

My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that the slogan ““British jobs for British workers”” is much older than the National Front or the BNP? It is a clarion call that has reverberated around this House on many occasions over the past 200 or 250 years, and, indeed, has as...

My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that the slogan ““British jobs for British workers”” is much older than the National Front or the BNP? It is a clarion call that has reverberated around this House on many occasions over the past 200 or 250 years, and, indeed, has as...

My Lords, I am unable to provide the noble Lord, Lord Elystan-Morgan, with the figures that he asks for but I am happy to make inquiries of my officials. He is right to say that such an aspiration is a worthy clarion call and a noble policy objective, as long...

My Lords, I am unable to provide the noble Lord, Lord Elystan-Morgan, with the figures that he asks for but I am happy to make inquiries of my officials. He is right to say that such an aspiration is a worthy clarion call and a noble policy objective, as long...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a director of Sellafield Ltd, although what I am going to say has nothing to do with Sellafield. The Minister, in a very temperate and moderate Statement today which I think we can all agree with, laid great emphasis on the European directive...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a director of Sellafield Ltd, although what I am going to say has nothing to do with Sellafield. The Minister, in a very temperate and moderate Statement today which I think we can all agree with, laid great emphasis on the European directive...

My Lords, I understand very well the point being made and the case being argued by my noble friend Lord Lea. I accept that where rights or entitlements that have been collectively negotiated and bargained are higher than the statutory minima, of course it is possible for these collectively bargained...

My Lords, I understand very well the point being made and the case being argued by my noble friend Lord Lea. I accept that where rights or entitlements that have been collectively negotiated and bargained are higher than the statutory minima, of course it is possible for these collectively bargained...

My Lords, my noble friend has just referred to the national minimum wage as being the wage guaranteed by the United Kingdom’s transposition of the posting of workers directive. That is a lot lower than the local collective bargaining benchmark standard. My noble friend will remember as well as I...

My Lords, my noble friend has just referred to the national minimum wage as being the wage guaranteed by the United Kingdom’s transposition of the posting of workers directive. That is a lot lower than the local collective bargaining benchmark standard. My noble friend will remember as well as I...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lords, Lord Hunt of Wirral and Lord Razzall, for their responses to their Statement and the support that they offer the Government, on whose behalf I speak unanimously, as one person. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, for his welcome to...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lords, Lord Hunt of Wirral and Lord Razzall, for their responses to their Statement and the support that they offer the Government, on whose behalf I speak unanimously, as one person. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, for his welcome to...

My Lords, with permission I would like to make a Statement about the current industrial action at the Lindsey oil refinery and elsewhere in the country. On Thursday and Friday last week, contract workers at the Lindsey refinery in North Lincolnshire and elsewhere took part in unofficial industrial action. This...

My Lords, with permission I would like to make a Statement about the current industrial action at the Lindsey oil refinery and elsewhere in the country. On Thursday and Friday last week, contract workers at the Lindsey refinery in North Lincolnshire and elsewhere took part in unofficial industrial action. This...

My Lords, I join the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, in welcoming the Statement from the Secretary of State. I waited with eager anticipation, as did, no doubt, members of the other parties in your Lordships’ House, to discover what line the Conservative opposition would take on this issue...

My Lords, I join the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, in welcoming the Statement from the Secretary of State. I waited with eager anticipation, as did, no doubt, members of the other parties in your Lordships’ House, to discover what line the Conservative opposition would take on this issue...