Speeches by Smith.

“Will the additional money announced for hospices before Christmas cover the full cost of the increase in employer’s national insurance contributions or not?”

“As I alluded to, the hon. Gentleman seems to want his constituency to leave Derbyshire and join Greater Manchester, so he is opening up a can of worms there. I am happy to tell the Committee that I pay my membership fees to the Conservative party by direct debit and I get that annual email reminding me that my renewal …”

“I give way to the hon. Member for High Peak, although he now wishes for it to be in Greater Manchester.”

“I rise to speak to amendment 126 standing in my name and those of my hon. Friends on the Committee. The amendment would require trade unions to notify their members every year of their right to opt out of the political fund and to obtain an annual opt-in to the political fund from their members. It is as clear as day t…”

“I will focus my remarks on new clause 30, tabled in my name and that of my hon. Friends the Members for West Suffolk, for Bridgwater and for Mid Leicestershire. It is good to see the Minister in her place on her first outing in the Committee of the day, and as she said, new clause 30 would repeal the Trade Union (Wales…”

“I will not detain the Committee with a commentary on this clause. Question put and agreed to. Clause 70 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill. Clause 71 Devolved Welsh authorities Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.”

“Can he name them?”

“I congratulate the Minister on his marathon run through clauses 62 to 69. I will focus my comments particularly on new clause 44, which, as the Minister has outlined, would require the Certification Officer to advance the objectives of the international competitiveness of the economy and its growth in the medium to lon…”

“I will focus my remarks predominantly on new clause 27 and amendment 133, which stand in my name and those of my hon. Friends. New clause 27 would require the Secretary of State to assess the impact of clause 61, which, as the Minister outlined, repeals legislation passed by the last Conservative Government that implem…”

“We debated clause 59 at length in the debate on amendment 166, so I will not dwell on it further, but I am grateful for the Minister’s commitment to write to me on the provisions around leverage. I will focus my remarks on clause 60 and the removal of provision for a 12-week protected period, with the result that the p…”

“I understand the point that the Minister makes about prejudging any consultation, notwithstanding the points he makes about international obligations, but this is one of those areas where we have a particular identified problem in leverage that is not being challenged. I should be grateful if the Minister would provide…”

“I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s constructive approach. If he accepts the principle of what we are saying, we will work with the Government to polish it, and to ensure the amendment gives the maximum protection and protects junior managers as well as senior managers, and land adjacent to a premise that may not be owned o…”

“I beg to move amendment 126, in clause 48, page 61, line 20, at end insert— “4A In subsection (1) of section 82 (Rules as to political fund), after paragraph (d) insert— ‘(e) that trade union members who have not opted out of the political fund must signal, in writing, their agreement to continue contributing to the fu…”

“I beg to move amendment 166, in clause 59, page 72, line 21, at end insert— “236E Actions short of a strike: exemption (1) The right of a worker not to be subjected to detriment under section 236A does not apply in cases where the worker is involved in one or more of the following activities— (a) intimidation at picket…”

“I will not take much of the Committee’s time on this. The Opposition do not understand why the Government wish to remove perfectly sensible measures from the statute book, other than that the trade unions have clearly demanded that the change be made. It does not seem proportionate or reasonable to us, and we think tha…”

“The bulk of the argument to be had on the clause was made in the debate on amendment 167. The Opposition still believe that the time period stated in this clause is insufficient to enable real people to plan. I therefore urge the Government to go back and consider this, and to see what more reasonable compromise they m…”

“I accept the Minister’s point about where precisely the number of days should sit. I slightly take issue with him when he says that the 21-day proposal was a finger-in-the-air job. Most people would describe that three-week window as a reasonable notice period to enable people in many walks of life to make plans, such …”

“My straightforward and simple reply is that I want to get this right in the United Kingdom’s interest. No, I cannot name another country that has 21 days’ notice, but that does not mean we should not do it ourselves. It would give all our constituents a fighting chance to find a way through the challenges that they fac…”

“I will come up with another example when the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield is finished.”

“I beg to move amendment 167, in clause 57, page 69, line 16, leave out “seventh” and insert “twenty-first”. This amendment would increase, from seven to 21 days, the notice period that trade unions are required to adhere to when notifying employers that they plan to take industrial action. The amendment would increase …”