Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill
Public Bill Committee, 16 October 2014.
Examination of Witnesses
Graham Brady (Conservative, Altrincham and Sale West)
Good morning. It might be helpful if I take the opportunity to remind the Committee that the deadline for amendments to be considered on Tuesday 21 October is the rise of the House today. We now resume our oral evidence taking, with the British Beer and Pub Association, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, the Campaign for Real Ale, and the Fair Pint campaign. I remind Members that questions should be limited to matters in the scope of the Bill and that we must stick to the timings in the programme motion that the Committee has agreed. We have until 12.30 pm for the first panel. I welcome the witnesses. Could you introduce yourselves for the record, please?
Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat, St Austell and Newquay)
Is that a yes?
Stephen Gilbert (Liberal Democrat, St Austell and Newquay)
So there is more consensus on that than on the notion of an amendment.
Graham Brady (Conservative, Altrincham and Sale West)
We have four minutes, and I have got three Members wanting to come back in for a second time. I ask for people to be brief in their questions and answers.
Graham Brady (Conservative, Altrincham and Sale West)
We now have less than a minute.
Graham Brady (Conservative, Altrincham and Sale West)
Order. I am afraid that brings us to the end of the time for this panel. I am sorry to interrupt. I thank all of the witnesses for coming to give evidence. We will move on to the next panel.
Examination of Witness
Graham Brady (Conservative, Altrincham and Sale West)
We will now hear oral evidence from Ofsted. For this session we have until 1pm. I ask our witness to introduce herself for the record.
Oliver Colvile (Conservative, Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Thank you very much for that answer. Brilliant.
Graham Brady (Conservative, Altrincham and Sale West)
That brings us to the end of the time allocated.
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
We now hear oral evidence from R3: Association of Business Recovery Professionals. For this session we have until 2.30pm. Will the witness please introduce himself for the record?
Oliver Colvile (Conservative, Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Yes.
Oliver Colvile (Conservative, Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Yes.
Oliver Colvile (Conservative, Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Thank you very much.
Oliver Colvile (Conservative, Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Excellent. I always like having chats about that.
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
Order. I apologise, but that brings us to the end of the allotted time for this panel. On behalf of the Committee, I thank Mr Sykes for his time and for giving evidence. There are no further questions. We have to move on to the next evidence session.
Examination of Witnesses
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
We will shout, Mr Humphreys.
Mr Perkins will lead off on the questioning again.
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
If there are no further questions, I would like to thank the witnesses for their time giving evidence today. We will now move on to the next session.
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
Minister, are you happy to address the meeting, as you are the only Minister here at the moment?
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
Of course. I suppose this is going to be more of a grilling now, rather than a hearing of oral evidence. Mr Perkins will again lead off the questioning.
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
I am sorry, Minister, but could you please introduce yourself for the record?
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
Order. Eight Members are waiting to speak and you have had well over 15 minutes, Mr Perkins. Let us move along swiftly so that other Members can have a go.
Toby Perkins (Labour, Chesterfield)
May I ask my final question?
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
If you keep it short and there is a short response.
Mark Garnier (Conservative, Wyre Forest)
The wasted journey compensation, by way of example.
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
Minister, can you please introduce yourself for the record?
Sheryll Murray (Conservative, South East Cornwall)
It is a pleasure to be here under your chairmanship, Ms Dorries.
Mr Hancock, this Government have implemented a system of deregulation over the course of the Parliament and we already have a regulatory target of one in, two out as part of our policy. Why is that target not in the Bill—why are you allowing it to be set in secondary legislation?
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
Could that be your final point, Mr Murray, unless you want to add anything to that? We still have seven more Members with questions to ask.
Sheila Gilmore (Labour, Edinburgh East)
What is your view on giving a right to all workers to get a written copy of their terms and conditions within eight weeks of entering into employment?
Sheila Gilmore (Labour, Edinburgh East)
I think it was mentioned in the written evidence from the CIPD, for example—but you have no view on that at the moment?
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
Ms Gilmore, Members must adhere to what is within the scope of the Bill.
Sheila Gilmore (Labour, Edinburgh East)
It is within the scope of the Bill, because it relates to people who would be regarded as workers in terms of having a zero-hours contract, but not as employees. That was the point I was trying to bring out.
Nadine Dorries (Conservative, Mid Bedfordshire)
That brings us to the end of the time allotted to oral evidence. On behalf of the Committee, I thank the witnesses. I remind Members that the deadline for amendments to be considered next Tuesday is at the rise of the House this afternoon.