Oral Answers to Questions

Christine Jardine Excerpts

Thursday 3rd December 2020 Commons Chamber

[Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall) (Lab/Co-op)]

What steps he has taken to support the aviation sector to maintain employment levels during the covid-19 pandemic.

[Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) (LD)]

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on employment protections for people working in the aviation industry during the covid-19 outbreak.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Robert Courts)]

The Government’s comprehensive support package includes the coronavirus job retention scheme, which will now run until the end of March 2021.

--- Later in debate ---

[Robert Courts]

I pay tribute to the dedicated employees in the hon. Lady’s constituency who work in the airline industry and the airports industry. Any redundancy that happens is a commercial decision, but none the less one that we regret. I would encourage all employers to engage with their employees sensitively and to sit down and talk to the unions in order to come to compromises wherever possible. The Government’s action has involved a great deal of cross-economy support, and the aviation sector itself will have received between £2.5 billion and £3 billion of support from the coronavirus job retention scheme and the covid corporate financing facility by the end of March 2021.

[Christine Jardine [V]]

The aviation sector, particularly the airline industry, is a major employer in my constituency, and there has been concern over employment practices. I recently supported the private Member’s Bill introduced by the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Gavin Newlands), but in a Westminster Hall debate the Minister said that the absence of strict regulations about fire and rehire provided necessary flexibility. In those circumstances, what are the Government proposing to bring forward to protect workers in the aviation industries from the possibility of fire and rehire?