Work and Families Bill

I have listened with great interest to the contributions of hon. Members from both sides of the House. We have heard contributions from the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May), the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb), my hon. Friends the Members for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) and for Cardiff, North (Julie Morgan), the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff), my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Ms Johnson), the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Prisk), my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Alison Seabeck), the hon. Member for Angus (Mr. Weir), my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Kitty Ussher), the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone), my hon. Friends the Members for Dundee, West (Mr. McGovern) and for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon) and, latterly, the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mrs. Laing). All hon. Members who have contributed to the debate understand what the Government are trying to achieve through the Bill. The Government have clearly set out their strategy in their three terms and they will develop it further in their fourth. Given the legacy of the previous Government, our first term was about getting people back into work. The second term was about fairness at work and getting the balance of fairness in the workplace right. The third term has been about the world of work. All hon. Members who have spoken in the debate have said that the world of work has changed dramatically. This country faces demographic changes due to a reducing birth rate and the fact that people are, thankfully, living longer. We need to ensure that we get as many people back into work as possible. I was grateful and delighted that the Conservative Front-Bench spokesmen said that the business case had been made for the Bill because it is right and proper that that is the language in which we talk. All hon. Members agree that every child deserves the best possible start in life. The Bill attempts to achieve that by providing more choice and flexibility for families when balancing work and caring responsibilities. However, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said, the Bill includes measures to help employers to manage the administration of leave and pay and to plan ahead with greater confidence and certainty. It will enable better interaction between parents and employers, which was surely the point that the hon. Member for North Norfolk made when he said that it was important to get employers and employees to sit down together so that they can work through the needs of the business and their own needs, too. That is the context of the different style of approach on employment relations in this country that the Government have tried to introduce. We have tried to move away from the adversarial times of the 1970s and 1980s and towards more consensus. We face global challenges and demographic changes. There is a need for employers to understand the needs of their employees because the labour market is tight, more people are in work than ever before and we have such a low level of unemployment. However, employees must also understand the needs of business because they can change due to globalisation. The business case for the Bill has been made and it is important that there is a new regime of understanding by both employers and employees. We all know that enabling people with caring responsibilities to work means that the UK economy benefits and that employers can recruit from a wider talent pool and retain the people in whom they have invested. The Bill will result not only in more choice and flexibility for families, but help to achieve greater equality by enabling men to spend more time caring for their children and encouraging women back into the workplace. Many people have put their credentials as new men or women on the table, so I will put my credentials on the table. I am a parent of three boys and I have three grandchildren—[Hon. Members: ““Surely not.””] I know that it is hard to believe. I was thus a little taken aback when the hon. Member for Wellingborough said that Ministers do not understand the needs of youngsters and children and the requirements when bringing them up. I accept that some women make the choice to stay at home and bring up their children. Indeed, some men now want to stay at home to look after their children, especially in the first year of their lives. As the whole House has agreed, there is a benefit if people are with their children during those first 12 months. The package is good news for working parents and employers. It represents a big step forward on giving children the best start in life and enabling all families to have genuine choices about how they balance their work and family caring responsibilities. The changes will support employers in recruiting and retaining the best people, thus keeping much needed skills and experience in the workplace. In February, we published the consultation document ““Work and Families: Choice and Flexibility”” and consulted widely on how to take forward the commitments set out in our 10-year child care strategy.