Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Employment Rights Bill: Employment Rates

Monday 17 March 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Paul Holmes questioned the Minister about the impact of minimum guaranteed hours on student employment flexibility.
  • Deirdre Costigan wished Mr Speaker and his team a happy St Patrick's day.
  • The Minister acknowledged the disability employment gap and emphasized the benefits of flexible working rights for disabled individuals.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Paul Holmes Con Hamble Valley
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

MP concerns about the potential negative impacts of the Employment Rights Bill, particularly regarding minimum guaranteed hours for students and young people working in sectors like hospitality. The MP references Labour Members' claims about caring for youth employment.

Question

With many Labour Members claiming that they care about young people being employed, has the Minister’s Department made assessments about the employment impact of the decision to introduce minimum guaranteed hours for students and young people who rely on the flexibility of being able to pick and choose their work hours, particularly those working in the hospitality sector which is decimated by this Government?

Answer from The Minister for Employment (Alison McGovern)

I think the hon. Gentleman is referring to the ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts, but if somebody wants a flexible hours contract, then that is a good thing, and nothing in the changes prevents that. In fact, since I have been at the DWP, I have found that employers have not had sufficient contact from jobcentres and only one in six employers think about using them. When getting young people a proper range of choices and jobs through the jobcentre, not nearly enough work has been done to serve employers better.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific assessments or data on the impact of minimum guaranteed hours for students and young workers in hospitality. She instead focused on flexible working contracts and employer engagement with jobcentres.

How: Changing Subject, General Principles

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Q2 Deirdre Costigan Lab Ealing Southall
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

MP highlights the disability employment gap of 30% and asks about how Labour's Employment Rights Bill can help disabled workers retain their jobs. The MP also seeks other measures to improve employment for disabled people.

Question

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit—a happy St Patrick’s day to you, Mr Speaker, and all your team. The disability employment gap stands at 30% and countless disabled workers end up out of work because their employers refuse to make simple changes that would help them do their jobs. Does the Minister agree that the default right to flexible working in Labour’s Employment Rights Bill will help many disabled workers keep the jobs they love? What else can the Minister’s Department do to help more disabled people find and keep work?

Answer from The Minister for Employment (Alison McGovern)

May I first say how great it is to hear the beautiful language of Irish spoken in this Chamber? With the increase in conditions that can be variable over time, the flexible working right will help people. The Minister for Social Security and Disability and I are working closely with disabled people’s organisations, charities and others to think about how we can build those pathways into work as we change jobcentres and improve employment support, ensuring that raising disability employment rates is at the heart of those changes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not explicitly confirm agreement with Labour's Employment Rights Bill or provide specific additional measures to help disabled people find work. She instead discussed ongoing efforts and flexible working rights in general terms.

How: Changing Subject, General Principles

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