Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Wales Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Ruane Excerpts
Wednesday 22nd October 2014

(10 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Chris Ruane Portrait Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab)
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4. What estimate he has made of the number of people in Wales working on zero-hours contracts.

Alun Cairns Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns)
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Zero-hours contracts benefit many employers and employees in Wales, but we are committed to taking strong action against abuse by banning the use of exclusivity clauses.

Chris Ruane Portrait Chris Ruane
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I thank the Minister for that response, but does he not recognise the negative impact that zero-hours contracts have on family life, the well-being and mental and physical health of individual workers, and morale at work? Under this Government the number of zero-hours contracts has shot through the roof; what can the Minister do to reduce it?

Alun Cairns Portrait Alun Cairns
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Again, I am surprised by the tactic used by the hon. Gentleman. If zero-hours contracts are so wrong, why do Labour-run local authorities make active use of them? Furthermore, why do more than 60 MPs make active use of zero-hours contracts?