Speeches by McDonnell.

“I think we can place it on the agenda. I hope the Government will have taken this amendment on board by the time we get to the other House, because it is such a simple mechanism to bring together. My second point is about amendment 35, which seeks to promote the insourcing of workers into GBR. The Government have annou…”

“Certainly, although I do not get an extra minute for this one.”

“I think we can place it on the agenda. I hope the Government will have taken this amendment on board by the time we get to the other House, because it is such a simple mechanism to bring together. My second point is about amendment 35, which seeks to promote the insourcing of workers into GBR. The Government have annou…”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker—I thought that was coming. I will speak to amendments 15 and 35, which stand in my name. Amendment 15 deals with the creation of an industry-wide travel scheme. One of the benefits of joining British Rail was that travel passes were extended to workers and their families. That was a real…”

“Certainly, although I do not get an extra minute for this one.”

“I agree wholeheartedly. We just need one comprehensive scheme under which everyone is treated equally—it is a benefit, one that helps to attract staff, but also to retain staff because of the commitment it demonstrates. Just to understand the scale of outsourcing that has gone on, we believe that at the moment in exces…”

“I agree wholeheartedly. We just need one comprehensive scheme under which everyone is treated equally—it is a benefit, one that helps to attract staff, but also to retain staff because of the commitment it demonstrates. Just to understand the scale of outsourcing that has gone on, we believe that at the moment in exces…”

“When it comes to outsourcing, people might remember that we brought maintenance work back into Network Rail to reintegrate it because there was a lack of skills, the undermining of safety and blood on the tracks. I attended the funeral of a driver in the Southall crash; that tragedy was a direct reflection of the break…”

“”

“A joint letter has been published today that was sent to the Secretary of State, signed by the RMT and the National Skills Academy for Rail. In the letter, they call for”

“There is significance evidence of low pay and the way that people are discriminated against consistently throughout the outsourcing mechanism. Given all the research that has been done, that is unchallengeable. I want to concentrate on the issue of loss of skills. Under British Rail, when someone joined the railway, th…”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on the work he did over the years to develop the policies that this legislation is largely based on. On the issue of trade union negotiations, we have advocated for sectoral collective bargaining in this sector, as in others, for quite a while. Why? Because it gives a voice to the workers …”

“My hon. Friend is dealing with things at breakneck speed, and incredibly competently, but I think he has missed the confirmation in his briefing that he is willing to meet the RMT parliamentary group to discuss travel facilities for staff and insourcing.”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on the work he did over the years to develop the policies that this legislation is largely based on. On the issue of trade union negotiations, we have advocated for sectoral collective bargaining in this sector, as in others, for quite a while. Why? Because it gives a voice to the workers …”

“I would welcome a commitment from the Minister to a meeting with him or the Secretary of State to talk about the plans for insourcing. The Government are doing some excellent work on insourcing across a whole range of Departments, but this proposal has the scale to ensure that we fulfil the promise we made about the gr…”

“The amendment I have tabled would enable GBR to function and perform its duties in a way that promotes the transfer into GBR of outsourced and subcontracted railway staff.”

“as we all want—”

““a GBR workforce strategy setting out the skills, employment models and supply chain structures needed to build”—”

“I will just say that it is not for the US to determine the future of the Cuban people—that is for the Cuban people themselves—or to use such methods to try to influence the regime. The UN Secretary-General has made clear his view that Cuba is on the brink, and children are already dying as a result of what is happening…”

“Madam Deputy Speaker, may I take 30 seconds to associate myself with the Speaker’s remarks about Sir Alan Haselhurst? He was in the Chair when I seized the Mace, and he expelled me from the Chamber, but he did it with such good grace that we became firm friends and have been ever since. I send my condolences to his wif…”