Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Callanan on 21 February (HL Deb col 1562) that “The key sectors specified in the [Strikes (Minimum Service Levels)] Bill are broadly the same set that were defined as important public services in the Trade Union Act 2016”, why they are changing the category “Education of those aged under 17”, as in the 2016 Act, to the broader definition found in the Bill of “Education services”.

The sectors in the Strikes Bill broadly stem from the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, as amended by the Trade Union Act 2016, as they have long been recognised as important for society to function effectively.

Strike action in education services has the potential for far reaching consequences for members of the public, for example children and young people who can be denied access to vital learning if education services strike.

It is only right that these services, which the public pay for and expect to be there when they need them, are included in the Bill.