To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on the deduction of trade union subscriptions from payroll in the Civil Service.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on the deduction of trade union subscriptions from payroll in the Civil Service.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) organisations in total and (b) trade unions receive income by means of a government check-off facility.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) organisations in total and (b) trade unions receive income by means of a government check-off facility.

At its meeting on 10 March, the Administration and Works Committee considered a proposal regarding the publishing of documents produced by the House and its committees. The House currently contracts The Stationery Office (TSO) to publish House documents; that contract expires in March 2016.

The Committee agreed that:

• Paper copies...

At its meeting on 10 March, the Administration and Works Committee considered a proposal regarding the publishing of documents produced by the House and its committees. The House currently contracts The Stationery Office (TSO) to publish House documents; that contract expires in March 2016.

The Committee agreed that:

• Paper copies...

Statement on trade unions in the civil service.

Statement on trade unions in the civil service.

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on trade unions in the civil service.

Trade unions can play an important role in the modern workplace. Some important reforms implemented under the coalition Government, such as changes to the civil service compensation scheme and public sector pensions, were...

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on trade unions in the civil service.

Trade unions can play an important role in the modern workplace. Some important reforms implemented under the coalition Government, such as changes to the civil service compensation scheme and public sector pensions, were...

What was the point of that?

What was the point of that?

I thank the Minister for advanced sight of the statement—it is good to see that at least this member of the Cabinet is not ducking difficult questions in Parliament today.

It is election time, so we have a Tory Minister coming to the House as part of a pre-election union-bashing exercise....

I thank the Minister for advanced sight of the statement—it is good to see that at least this member of the Cabinet is not ducking difficult questions in Parliament today.

It is election time, so we have a Tory Minister coming to the House as part of a pre-election union-bashing exercise....

It is lovely to see the hon. Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell) taking time off from her pressing duties of holding the Labour party’s election campaign together. It is good to have her here. I thank her for her gracious support for the majority of what we do. It...

It is lovely to see the hon. Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell) taking time off from her pressing duties of holding the Labour party’s election campaign together. It is good to have her here. I thank her for her gracious support for the majority of what we do. It...

It was me.

It was me.

It is very hard to differentiate.

Let me deal head on with the hon. Lady’s points. She says that this is an attack on public servants, but it is absolutely the contrary. She talks as if this is an attack on union facility time. It is not. I said in my...

It is very hard to differentiate.

Let me deal head on with the hon. Lady’s points. She says that this is an attack on public servants, but it is absolutely the contrary. She talks as if this is an attack on union facility time. It is not. I said in my...

My hon. Friend is completely right. To be honest, it was a complete shock to us to see how much this system had been abused, and how little effort was made by our predecessors to count and control the costs of what was happening. When Opposition Members say that this...

My hon. Friend is completely right. To be honest, it was a complete shock to us to see how much this system had been abused, and how little effort was made by our predecessors to count and control the costs of what was happening. When Opposition Members say that this...

We are going to have to develop some criteria for providing statements to this House, because this is a complete waste of the House’s time. The Minister needs to get up to speed: the Public and Commercial Services Union has never been affiliated to the Labour party and has never...

We are going to have to develop some criteria for providing statements to this House, because this is a complete waste of the House’s time. The Minister needs to get up to speed: the Public and Commercial Services Union has never been affiliated to the Labour party and has never...

First, I never said that about the PCS. I know it is not affiliated. The PCS dislikes the Labour party nearly as much as it dislikes us. Secondly, when it comes to attacks on public servants, the hon. Gentleman’s attack on hard-working public servants in HMRC—the management of HMRC, those...

First, I never said that about the PCS. I know it is not affiliated. The PCS dislikes the Labour party nearly as much as it dislikes us. Secondly, when it comes to attacks on public servants, the hon. Gentleman’s attack on hard-working public servants in HMRC—the management of HMRC, those...

I saw a report this morning suggesting that there was a plan, not yet divulged to the public, for the PCS to be swallowed up by Unite. Civil service political impartiality is an essential part of the way in which our system of government works. For the largest civil service...

I saw a report this morning suggesting that there was a plan, not yet divulged to the public, for the PCS to be swallowed up by Unite. Civil service political impartiality is an essential part of the way in which our system of government works. For the largest civil service...

As the right hon. Gentleman, who is knowledgeable on this subject, knows, many employers have taken exactly this step. Many unions have sought to withdraw from check-off arrangements themselves, because they take the view that a modern union in a modern workplace should have a direct relationship with their members,...

As the right hon. Gentleman, who is knowledgeable on this subject, knows, many employers have taken exactly this step. Many unions have sought to withdraw from check-off arrangements themselves, because they take the view that a modern union in a modern workplace should have a direct relationship with their members,...

I make the point again that the perception of political impartiality in the civil service is fundamental to our system of government. That should not be imperilled in any way. My hon. Friend is completely right to draw attention to the much wider scale of facility time and the cost...

I make the point again that the perception of political impartiality in the civil service is fundamental to our system of government. That should not be imperilled in any way. My hon. Friend is completely right to draw attention to the much wider scale of facility time and the cost...

Is the Minister aware that all he needed to say today was quite simple: Tory Ministers are continuing with their spite and vendetta against trade unions? This is nothing different from what has occurred previously.

Is the Minister aware that all he needed to say today was quite simple: Tory Ministers are continuing with their spite and vendetta against trade unions? This is nothing different from what has occurred previously.

That was not really a question, Mr Speaker, but by way of response, most public servants and most members of the public and the people who use public services would prefer the money to be spent on the delivery of public services, not on the delivery of trade union salaries.

That was not really a question, Mr Speaker, but by way of response, most public servants and most members of the public and the people who use public services would prefer the money to be spent on the delivery of public services, not on the delivery of trade union salaries.

This statement is called “Trade Union Reform (Civil Service)”, so will the Minister correct himself and the record and confirm that none of the civil service unions is affiliated to the Labour party or pays towards it? Rolls-Royce, Tesco, Virgin Media, Odeon Cinemas, Jaguar Land Rover —some of our biggest...

This statement is called “Trade Union Reform (Civil Service)”, so will the Minister correct himself and the record and confirm that none of the civil service unions is affiliated to the Labour party or pays towards it? Rolls-Royce, Tesco, Virgin Media, Odeon Cinemas, Jaguar Land Rover —some of our biggest...