Lord Moylan: .... The language in the Bill is far too loose for this purpose. It does not give us the protection. It does not do what my noble friend said it would do when he spoke at Second Reading, which is to strike the right balance. These amendments in my third group—and indeed the one in my second group—are there to help strike the right balance. I beg to move.
Lord Allan of Hallam: ...to remind us that this is a real problem and there is a lot we can do. I know she has worked on this through things such as metadata—understanding who is communicating with whom—which might strike that nice balance where we are not infringing on people’s privacy too grossly but are still able to identify those who wish harm on our society and in particular on our children. The noble...
Bob Blackman: I too was at St James’ Park, and I am still getting over it. At least Tottenham are refunding the gate money after that game. Today is the 64th day that Vahid Beheshti is on hunger strike opposite the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Last week, together with 125 other Members of both Houses, I wrote to the Prime Minister about the hunger strike. The letter was copied to the...
Lucy Frazer: ...of pounds and which is putting in money, through its taxes, to support many of our public services. For the majority of people, it is offering something that they enjoy, so we are trying to strike a balance between allowing that to continue and protecting problem gamblers, of whom we estimate there are 300,000.
Luke Pollard: ...Question 165250 on Ministry of Defence: Housing, how many boilers in service family accommodation (a) over 10 years old have failed at least three times and (b) have been replaced through the three-strike programme in the last 12 months.
Lucy Frazer: ...package of reforms to ensure the regulatory framework is fit for the smartphone age and the right protections are in place to protect the public from gambling-related harm. The suite of proposals strike a balance between respecting the choices of people who gamble safely, and ensuring those that are at risk of gambling harm and addiction are protected and safeguarded.
Pam Duncan-Glancy: ...who participate. Therefore, I ask the minister whether he considers those pay deductions to meet the Government’s expectations; to condemn that action as an attack on the right of workers to strike; to agree to write to institutions and remind them of their fair work obligations; and—
Lord Collins of Highbury: ...employment rights. Employment rights are in a single market and they are clearly defined. This is about service levels. We had debates in Committee about how to define service levels on non-strike days. The devolved Governments are going to be responsible for that, and that is the democratic accountability. That is why it is really important that we support these amendments.
Lord Callanan: ...suggesting that we go that far. I accept that noble Lords opposite will not mind the example of the USA, but, last time I looked, Australia and Canada both had centre-left Governments. Yet they ban strike action completely in fire services. So the UK is not an international outlier in considering these MSLs. Spain, France and Belgium have statutory MSLs in fire services. I have no idea who...
Lord Allan of Hallam: ..., alleging that their treatment could have been delivered if it had; a student taking action against an educational institution on the basis that it did not order teaching staff to turn up during strike days; or businesses suffering disruption as a result of transport strikes going after train operators, claiming that more service could have been provided. Some noble Lords may have...
...representatives of any relevant unions, employers and other interested parties,(b) include an assessment of the potential impact of the minimum service regulations on the rights of workers to strike, the effectiveness of the relevant services, and the impact on the wider public,(c) consider services in all categories listed in subsection (4), and(d) include reference to respective service...
Lord Markham: The noble Baroness is absolutely correct: any strike action is regrettable, and we have a part to play, as do the unions, in trying to make sure that we reach a sensible place. We feel we have done that for nurses and ambulance drivers with the Agenda for Change, and clearly, we want to do the same for doctors. I think all noble Lords can agree that we do not want the impact on patients and...
Stephen Kinnock: ...getting a returns deals. First, international challenges require international solutions. Secondly, we need an agreement with our nearest neighbours that must include returns. Thirdly, we will only strike a returns deal with the European Union if we bring something to the negotiation, and that should include a proper plan for capped safe and legal routes for bona fide asylum seekers...
James Cartlidge: HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH undertook HMS PRINCE OF WALES’s (PWLS) operational tasking from September to December 2022, whilst maintaining her role as the Very High Readiness Strike Carrier. At all times the Royal Navy has delivered its Carrier commitments to NATO. Ministry of Defence remains committed to ensuring PWLS commences her operational programmes, as planned, in autumn 2023. This will...
Michael Marra: .... In the approach of the SNP Government, crucially, we find the same patterns of cover-up, secrecy and spin. Disingenuous tactics of dither and delay from this Government meant that the teachers strike dragged on for far longer than parents, pupils or teachers could afford. For months, the cabinet secretary branded a deal “unaffordable and unsustainable”, yet when her own constituents...
Beth Winter: ...pay. Millions of people, particularly in the public sector, are having pay awards imposed on them that are below the rate of inflation, and people are being forced—yes, forced—to go on strike. The Government simply do not care. With inflation outstripping pay, month after month, there is an urgent priority for this Government to inflation-proof pay for the public sector and all workers...
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: ...that the Bill offers to internet users, particularly to children. I agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Merron, that that has long been the shared focus across your Lordships’ House as we seek to strike the right balance through the Bill. I hope to reassure noble Lords about the justification for the existing balance and scope, and the safeguards built in to prevent undue burdens to...
Lord Allan of Hallam: ...industry because I always had those views, back to 2003 when we set up Ofcom. I checked the record, and I said things then that are remarkably consistent with how I feel today about how we need to strike the balance between the power of the state and the power of the citizen to use the internet. I also should declare an interest in respect of Amendment 2, in that I run a blog called...
Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton: ...too often we try to procure the exquisite at an exquisite price, while here we have acquired the very good at a very reasonable price. What are the lessons for the future; for example, for littoral strike vessels for the Royal Marines, which can be, at the most basic, in effect, converted container ships?
Andrew Griffith: As the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have noted, it is not possible to precisely isolate the impact of strike action on GDP from other factors across the wider economy. The Government remains committed to minimising the disruption caused by strike action and encouraging the resolution of industrial disputes as quickly as reasonably possible. The Government will listen to all unions who...
