Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 October (HL10746), how and why they reached the conclusion that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 "does not support a positive and productive relationship between employers, employees, and their trade unions", and what discussions they have had with trade unions about that Act.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The implementation of Minimum Service Levels (MSLs) legislation by the last Government only worsened industrial relations. This was particularly evident in rail, where it exacerbated the national disputes, which had seen two years of widespread strikes and disruption to millions of passengers.
MSLs legislation is being repealed under the Employment Rights Bill (ERB). The Government has consulted numerous stakeholders about the ERB, including trade unions.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (HL10676), how and why they reached the conclusion that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was "unworkable for public transport when it was passed".
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Minimum Service Levels (MSLs) legislation was brought in under the last Government. While many public transport employers had the opportunity to use MSLs, none chose to as they deemed it either unworkable or unnecessary. This legislation does not support a positive and productive relationship between employers, employees, and their trade unions. The legislation would have also been unable to deal with the need for individual or small numbers of staff at critical operational locations. For these reasons, this Government is repealing the legislation.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 applies to Transport for London, and what discussions they have had with Transport for London about the use of the powers in that Act.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 would apply to Transport for London. However, the Government announced on 6 August that it will repeal the Act as part of the Employment Rights Bill which is currently at Final Stages in the Lords. The Act was unworkable for public transport when it was passed.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 11 December 2024 (HL3030), what discussions they have had with Transport for London regarding the implementation, including timescale, of a licensing requirement for pedicabs since 11 December; and what assessment, if any, they have made of the impact of pedicabs on London.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport passed the Pedicabs (London) Act 2024 to regulate the Pedicabs industry in London. Following Royal Assent of the Act, Transport for London (TfL) undertook a public consultation earlier this year seeking views on high level policy proposals to regulate pedicabs in London. The consultation closed on 7 March 2025 and TfL is currently analysing the responses with a view to publishing the consultation report and next steps in due course. An impact assessment was published on 7 February 2024 when the Bill was introduced into the House of Commons which assessed the impact of pedicabs on London alongside likely effects of the legislation.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Transport for London regarding the implementation, including timescale, of requiring the licensing of pedicabs.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Transport for London (TfL) are currently preparing to consult on their plans to regulate London’s pedicab industry. Department for Transport officials regularly meet with their counterparts at TfL on this matter, who have indicated that this consultation process will now begin in early 2025.