Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Gagan Mohindra and Jeremy Quin

Thursday 7th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)]

15. What steps his Department is taking to maintain public services during industrial action.

[The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Jeremy Quin)]

Cabinet Office Ministers have, through Cobra, been assisting Departments in their responses to industrial action. When there is a spate of industrial action across the public sector, which causes huge disruption to our constituents, it is particularly important that we act together, and the Cabinet Office assists Departments in their planning.

[Mr Mohindra]

Like many of my constituents, I commute to London daily via rail and have had to deal with another summer of disruption caused by ASLEF and the RMT, while students are applying for jobs with unconfirmed grades from unmarked exam papers and junior doctors continue to strike. What is the Minister’s Department doing to end the strikes and get those people back to work so that we can continue to clear the backlogs and reduce the inflation that they claim to be striking against?

[Jeremy Quin]

My hon. Friend is right: it is outrageous that his constituents can have their lives totally upended by strikes and by militant unions. We will, of course, respect the right to strike, but we have a duty to protect the lives and livelihoods of the British people. That is what our minimum service levels legislation aims to do. It is a pity that the Labour party will not support it.

Ministerial Appointments: Vetting and Managing Conflicts of Interest

Debate between Gagan Mohindra and Jeremy Quin

Monday 23rd January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Jeremy Quin]

The usual appointment process was undertaken, so the Prime Minister will have had the benefit of full disclosure of the interests that my right hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon declared when the Prime Minister appointed him chair of the Conservative party.

[Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)]

The Prime Minister correctly asked his independent adviser on ministers’ interests to establish the facts. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we must not prejudge the outcome, and should allow the process to conclude?

[Jeremy Quin]

I agree. That is the purpose of having an independent adviser. He has been asked to investigate, and to work out exactly what the facts are. It would be ill-judged to make a decision before knowing all the facts that pertain.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Gagan Mohindra and Jeremy Quin

Monday 21st September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Jeremy Quin]

We are proud to support many British companies and the entire UK defence sector. Something like £19.2 billion was given to UK companies in 2018-19 to deliver on our defence needs. This has been brought out through our defence and security industrial strategy—DSIS—of which I look forward to sharing more details with the House when it is delivered later this year.

[Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that armed forces capability is adequate to tackle future security threats.