Work and Families Bill

I was becoming confused by the talk of elephant traps and Trojan horses, but I think that I understand the points made by the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan). The hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mrs. Laing) talked about the paucity of attendance by members of the Committee, but I wish to point out that the Liberal Democrats have a 100 per cent. attendance. I support the new clause in part. It would be eminently sensible to review how regulations are working a year after their implementation. I accept that the hon. Gentleman was talking about an annual review of the regulations, but the general concept of revisiting regulations to see how they operate in practice is good and should not divide us politically. I appreciate that the Conservatives are trying to reinvent themselves, but to give the Government work for the sake of it by reviewing the regulations every year into the future seems a little over the top. However, the administration of the regulations, especially in the transfer of rights from the mother who gives up some of her maternity leave to allow the father to take paternity leave, will be complex, and the Government might not get it absolutely right. It would, therefore, be worth while looking at how the regulations are working after a year to ensure that they are working as well as possible or whether they need tweaking to ensure that their operation is not overly complicated for employers, or for mothers and fathers seeking to take advantage of those rights. I support the principle of review, therefore, but not every single year.