Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Rutland Excerpts

Thursday 6th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Pat McFadden]

The hon. Member is absolutely right: the people who are attacking us are trying constantly to probe our defences, and as I have said a few times in the past hour, this is therefore a constant challenge. It is a combination of hardware, software and good practice, and that applies to central Government, local government, public bodies and�crucially�businesses. It is a national effort to protect the business that we do and the processes that we take for granted every day.

[Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Lab)]

T8. I refer to my entry in the Register of Members� Financial Interests. Food wholesale and distribution company Bidfood, which has been awarded public sector contracts and has a site in my constituency, recently unilaterally tore up union recognition agreements that have been in place for more than 30 years. What steps are Ministers taking to ensure that trade union recognition and access is valued and considered as part of the process of awarding public sector contracts?

[Georgia Gould]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this critical issue. The Employment Rights Bill will introduce new measures that will give staff and their chosen trade union a meaningful shot at gaining statutory recognition. I hope those provisions will ensure that GMB Union members across the country can have their voices heard in their workplaces.