Temporary and Agency Workers (Equal Treatment) Bill [Money]

If the hon. Gentleman can contain himself for a moment, I shall set out our position. On Second Reading of the Bill on 22 February, I set out the Government's position that while we do not support the Bill, we share many of its underlying objectives in providing appropriate protections for agency workers. I will say more about the Government's position in Committee, including the current position on the European Union agency workers directive, which forms the backdrop to the Bill, and our proposals for an agency workers commission as a way forward. The tabling of the resolution does not indicate any change in the Government's position on the Bill, and there are precedents for money resolutions for Bills without Government support. In accordance with convention and as part of the parliamentary process, the Government are tabling a money resolution for a new Bill that, if passed, would require the expenditure of public money. The Bill provides for the protection of temporary and agency workers by establishing a principle of equality of treatment for such workers with permanent workers, and it makes provision for the enforcement of those rights. In that respect, clause 4 of the Bill allows for the appointment of a regulatory authority with suitable duties and powers and the appointment of statutory officers with suitable duties and powers for the purpose of enforcing the rights afforded to agency workers. The new regulatory authority would have powers in relation to clause 1(1), which covers equal treatment for agency workers, clause 3(1), which deals with information about availability of direct employment and clause 3(4), which tackles an agency worker's right not to be subject to any detriment. Setting up such a regulatory authority as that for which the Bill calls would incur public expenditure and it is therefore necessary to move a money resolution. Of course, we can explore further the issues of substance that the Bill raises in its Committee stage, which begins tomorrow.