Wednesday 30th March 2022

(2 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Dan Carden Portrait Dan Carden (Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)
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I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement and his action plan, but if the only legislative changes are to give new statutory powers to ports, the issue of fire and rehire will not go away. What conversations has he had with the Business Secretary about legislation so that the outrage that there rightly is in the Chamber is not brought back again next month and the month after?

Grant Shapps Portrait Grant Shapps
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I think what really set this case apart was the way in which the boss of P&O brazenly wanted to break the law, admits to breaking the law and says he will do it again, so the changes, in this case to the Harbours Act 1964, will deal with that. In addition, the hon. Member asked what conversations I have been having with the Secretary of State for BEIS, and the answer is very full ones. We have been looking across the piece at how employment law operates and we will continue to do so, notwithstanding the fact that we want there to be flexibilities in employment law, which is one of the things that leads to this country having consistently lower unemployment than the rest of the EU, for example.