Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ian Murray and Lord Maude of Horsham

Wednesday 12th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Ian Murray (Edinburgh South) (Lab)]

1. What his policy is on the deduction of trade union subscriptions from payroll in the civil service.

[The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Francis Maude)]

The deduction of trade union subscriptions from payroll through check-off is a matter delegated to Departments in the civil service.

[Ian Murray]

The civil service has used check-off for the last 30 years. Indeed, large companies such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce use it as a very efficient way to deduct trade union subscriptions from salary. Is this not just another ideological attack? Removing check-off from the civil service payroll will cost many times more than running the current system for hundreds of years.

[Mr Maude]

As I say, it is a matter for Departments to decide for themselves. A number of trade unions take the view that it is much better to have a direct relationship with their members than to have it intermediated through the employer—it is a rather more modern way to run things.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ian Murray and Lord Maude of Horsham

Wednesday 14th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Ian Murray (Edinburgh South) (Lab)]

8. What steps he is taking to encourage employee mutuals to develop and run central Government services.

[The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Francis Maude)]

As we set out in the “Open Public Services” White Paper, we are committed to an ambitious programme of mutualisation, allowing staff to break free of bureaucracy and to spin out from the public sector. To support that, we have put in place the mutuals support programme, the mentoring of mutuals by groups such as John Lewis, the mutuals task force chaired by Professor Le Grand and the mutuals information service, and we are increasing the “right to provide” scheme.

[Ian Murray]

The Minister for the Cabinet Office expects there to be an extra 1 million workers in organisations taking over the running of public services by 2015. Will he update the House on how many he expects to be doing so by the end of this financial year?