Member

I turn now to Clause 51, which allows regulations to provide that any actions or agreement by the negotiating bodies would not constitute collective bargaining or a collective agreement as defined in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. I understand that my noble friend Lord Hendy is concerned that this clause may prevent collective bargaining and perhaps I can offer some reassurance and assistance on this point. This clause is necessary to enable the bodies to operate under a bespoke legal framework for sector-wide agreements, separate from the 1992 Act, when negotiations are conducted by members’ representatives of the whole sector and can be tailored accordingly. This also means that agreements will be legally binding across the sector once ratified in regulations.