Work and Families Bill

I thank the hon. Lady for that clarification. Indeed, if she had used the word ““effect”” instead of ““effectiveness”” she might have avoided many of the problems. Another problem is that the review would be annual, beginning in a year’s time. That is wholly and utterly impractical. We are introducing an important new right and it will take time for it to bed in. We need to know about its effects over a longer period. After only one year, relatively few people will have taken advantage of that right, and by its nature its impact will vary from year to year. We cannot take one year in isolation and say that the effect has been x. The effect in year two may be vastly different. We need a bedding-in period of at least five years to give a real view of how the measure is working. If the new clause had proposed a review after five years to assess the impact and to consider what we should do if there were detrimental effects either on business or, more important, on employees, I could have supported it, but I cannot do so with its current wording. The analogy of the elephant trap was interesting—I can see the Trojan horse falling into it. There are too many dangers in passing a clause worded in that manner. It could have the unintended consequences to which the hon. Member for Epping Forest referred. There are too many ifs and buts. The point about holding a review is valid, but it must take place only after a reasonable period to see whether the regulations have bedded in. I shall not support the new clause if the hon. Lady puts it to a vote, but I urge the Minister to assure the House that after a reasonable period—perhaps the end of this Parliament—we shall have a review of the effect of the regulations. On Second Reading, I expressed concern about the fact that a mother and father could not take maternity and paternity leave at the same time, which would have been extremely useful in my situation, if my wife and I had been in employment. Many aspects of the impact of the regulations on employees need to be assessed. Perhaps a review could reconsider the year’s leave and split the time up in different ways to allow a crossover period. It could also consider the effects on small businesses that we discussed in our earlier debate. The review is fine but a year is far too short a period.