Adjournment debate on Wednesday, 24 February 2010, in the House of Commons, led by John McDonnell. The answering member was Jonathan Shaw.

Workplace Temperatures

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on workplace temperatures.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 506 c75-97WH
Session: 2009-10
Department: Department for Work and Pensions
Chamber / Committee: Westminster Hall
Related items: Deposited Paper DEP2010-0312
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Deposited papers
House of Lords
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions: Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c82WH (Link to this contribution) I am afraid to say that that is so typical of successive British Governments. Time and time again, t...; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c84WH (Link to this contribution) Does that not reflect the culture of deregulation, which has caused so much damage to the economy an...; Speaker | 506 c84WH (Link to this contribution) Order. Mr. McDonnell, I hope that you will not go too far on the wider question of deregulation.; John McDonnell | 506 c82-4WH (Link to this contribution) I fully agree and I will come on to that point. I think that that approach reflects a climate of opi...; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c85-6WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Mr. Brady. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Memb...; John McDonnell | 506 c84-5WH (Link to this contribution) Certainly not. I hope to sum up fairly quickly, Mr. Brady. At the beginning of the debate, we were o...; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c88WH (Link to this contribution) Taking legal proceedings after a fatality is rather like closing the door after the horse has bolted...; James Clappison | 506 c88WH (Link to this contribution) It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning, Mr. Brady. I congratulate the ...; Paul Rowen | 506 c87-8WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for that clarification. I agree that although the review is part of a process, there m...; John McDonnell | 506 c87WH (Link to this contribution) For the sake of clarity, the HSE commissioned an investigation and report from Professor Ray Kemp. T...; James Clappison | 506 c88-9WH (Link to this contribution) We agree that we certainly need an appropriate framework so that we can deal with the matter in an a...; Paul Rowen | 506 c86-7WH (Link to this contribution) I apologise for missing the start of the debate. It was due not to high temperatures, but merely a b...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c89WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is setting out the circumstances and the regulations, but I think hon. Members wo...; James Clappison | 506 c90WH (Link to this contribution) I certainly share the hon. Gentleman's approach in so far as it is factual and evidence-based, as I ...; John McDonnell | 506 c90WH (Link to this contribution) I have tried to approach the debate by attempting to secure a consensus largely because, if there is...; James Clappison | 506 c89-90WH (Link to this contribution) I will not be tempted by the Minister, who is going much wider than the subject of the debate. I hav...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c91WH (Link to this contribution) I begin by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) on sec...; James Clappison | 506 c91WH (Link to this contribution) I might be wrong, but I think we are still waiting for a response to the initiative the then Secreta...; John McDonnell | 506 c90WH (Link to this contribution) Just as a matter of warning, statements such as""The powers of Government inspectors will be drastic...; John McDonnell | 506 c91WH (Link to this contribution) Before we lose the point, I asked a question about the appointment of the person leading the HSE rev...; Paul Rowen | 506 c92WH (Link to this contribution) I hope the Minister will respond to my point that such issues arise at the lower end of the temperat...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c91-2WH (Link to this contribution) It is important that people affected by organisations or individuals undertaking important reviews a...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c92WH (Link to this contribution) I noted the hon. Gentleman's earlier remarks and I will come to them later in my speech. Although th...; John McDonnell | 506 c92WH (Link to this contribution) On the difference between the minimum and maximum, I put it on the record that 99.9 per cent. of the...; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c93WH (Link to this contribution) I am interested in what the Minister says about comparable European countries. Would it be fair to s...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c93WH (Link to this contribution) When I refer to stakeholders, I include employers' representatives and employees' representatives su...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c93-4WH (Link to this contribution) I would not say that ours is the most liberal regime. The HSE board received the report, which conc...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c92-3WH (Link to this contribution) I assure my hon. Friend that that is not an attempt to avoid the issue, which is why the previous Se...; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c93WH (Link to this contribution) Are a high proportion of the representations from employers? Clearly, there will be costs involved i...; John McDonnell | 506 c94WH (Link to this contribution) The Minister mentioned costs. I would like to place on record—perhaps he could pass this message on ...; John McDonnell | 506 c95WH (Link to this contribution) We have had discussions through the trade union group with the bakers union, which is keenly engaged...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c94-5WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes his point well. Of course we need to consider the wider effects on individuals ...; John McDonnell | 506 c95WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend the Minister has set out—let me be clear about this for the record—the fact that the ...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c95WH (Link to this contribution) I am not expecting the unions to change their position, but equally I am pleased that they are willi...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c96-7WH (Link to this contribution) I will ensure that my hon. Friend receives those details. In summary, there are a significant numbe...; John McDonnell | 506 c96WH (Link to this contribution) Just to see if we can inspire some more inspiration from other sources, I should say that that would...; Jonathan Shaw | 506 c96WH (Link to this contribution) I will ensure that my noble Friend Lord McKenzie is aware of the desire for a road map and timetable...; John McDonnell | 506 c75WH (Link to this contribution) This Adjournment debate is about maximum workplace temperatures. I shall explain my interest in the ...; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c76WH (Link to this contribution) In France, it is the norm for employers to provide fresh drinking water. Even that would be an advan...; John McDonnell | 506 c78-9WH (Link to this contribution) As always in such situations, it indicates that there are good and bad employers, and what we have t...; John McDonnell | 506 c77-8WH (Link to this contribution) I fully agree with the hon. Gentleman. I hope that what results from today's debate is an acknowledg...; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c78WH (Link to this contribution) Does that simply not indicate that employers do not want their employees to know what the temperatur...; John McDonnell | 506 c76-7WH (Link to this contribution) It is interesting to note that a minimum temperature is set. When I first left school, I worked for ...; Gregory Campbell | 506 c77WH (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the situation could be clarified somewhat if the Government gave ...; John McDonnell | 506 c76WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes a valuable point. The reason for this debate is to secure clarity in our regula...; David Simpson | 506 c76WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on obtaining this important debate. I declare an interest in the a...; John McDonnell | 506 c80-1WH (Link to this contribution) Clear evidence is emerging about the disparities between a unionised shop and a non-unionised one. I...; David Crausby | 506 c79-80WH (Link to this contribution) Is that not the most important point? Legislation should solve the problem rather than create troubl...; John McDonnell | 506 c81-2WH (Link to this contribution) That is exactly what has resulted in this debate. We know from our surveys that there is a problem o...; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c81WH (Link to this contribution) I understand my hon. Friend's concern about the HSE entirely. Without a legal maximum temperature, h...; John McDonnell | 506 c79WH (Link to this contribution) Exactly, and that is why we need greater clarity about what action needs to be taken in such a case....; Kelvin Hopkins | 506 c79WH (Link to this contribution) Is it not the case that in food manufacturing in particular, employees have to wear special protecti...; John McDonnell | 506 c79WH (Link to this contribution) I fully agree that it is about a reasonable approach. We need to have a reasonable interpretation bu...; Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown | 506 c79WH (Link to this contribution) The burden of the hon. Gentleman's presentation is a call for clarity. Does he not acknowledge, howe...
Subjects: Codes of practice Accidents Health and safety Health and Safety Executive Hazards Prosecutions Monitoring Working conditions Temperature
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

Workplace Temperatures

Secondary information

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