Oral Answers to Questions

Liz Twist Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)]

2. What plans the Government have to negotiate for dynamic alignment with the EU on employment rights after the UK has left the EU.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

6. What plans the Government have to negotiate for dynamic alignment with the EU on employment rights after the UK has left the EU.

--- Later in debate ---

[Steve Barclay]

The reality is that we actually go beyond Europe in many areas of workers’ rights, including maternity and paternity leave, and we should be proud of that. The hon. Gentleman asks specifically about the change to the withdrawal agreement Bill, but it does not affect the rights of workers. It should be for this Parliament to set the standards. In our manifesto, we committed to having high standards. The real question that should be asked is why a number of member states do not meet the standards set here in the United Kingdom.

[Liz Twist]

So far, the Prime Minister has taken workplace rights out of the withdrawal agreement in October and the withdrawal agreement Bill in December. What confidence can we have that workplace rights will be protected under this Government?

[Steve Barclay]

The hon. Lady says that as if she supported the Bill in October, but she did not. She did not support it when those things were in the clause, and now she is lamenting that they are out of the clause that she did not support. The reality is that the purpose of the withdrawal agreement Bill is to implement the international agreement that the Prime Minister has reached with the European Commission. Of course it is for the House, in the course of its business, to determine what standards it wants on workers’ rights, the environment and other areas. The Prime Minister was clear in the manifesto that we are committed to high standards in those areas. I think that is something that the hon. Lady and I can agree on.