Trade Union Bill (Discussions) Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Trade Union Bill (Discussions)

Jeremy Lefroy Excerpts
Thursday 28th April 2016

(8 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Boles Portrait Nick Boles
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I do not recognise such loathing, and I certainly do not feel it myself.

Jeremy Lefroy Portrait Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)
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May I join my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr Walker) in congratulating the Minister on the way in which he has handled the Bill? Again, is it not the case that the Minister has had conversations with many people from all parts of the House, including on the Government Benches, both in the Commons and in the other place, about their concerns and that many of those concerns have now been addressed without any concessions at all being made to us?

Nick Boles Portrait Nick Boles
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I can confirm that, and none was more important than my hon. Friend, who had some very serious concerns. He did exactly the right thing: he came to see me privately about them as we were deliberating in the House. He tabled an amendment on Report, which he did not move because I had reassured him that we would look at closely as the Bill progressed. Yesterday, when he was not in the Chamber, I specifically mentioned that he had been influential in our decision ultimately not to press ahead with the measure that would have removed the check-off arrangement for trade unions in the public sector.