It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Angela. I congratulate the hon. Member for East Renfrewshire on securing today's important debate on extending redundancy protections for women and new parents. There can be no excuse for discrimination against pregnant women or women on maternity leave; it is unlawful and cannot be tolerated as we rebuild after the pandemic. Research funded by the Government and EHRC highlights that one in nine mothers report dismissal, compulsory redundancy or poor treatment leading to job loss, which could affect 54,000 mothers a year if scaled up nationally. One in five mothers also experience harassment or negative comments related to pregnancy or flexible working from employers or colleagues, potentially impacting 100,000 women annually. The Government will ensure the redundancy protection period applies from when an employee informs their employer of her pregnancy and extend this for six months after a new mother returns to work. They plan to introduce these measures as soon as parliamentary time allows. While there is support for state enforcement in redundancies involving pregnant women or new mothers, caution must be exercised due to the complexity of employment disputes. The Government's preferred approach retains and extends preferential treatment for pregnant women and new parents, providing a period up to 27 months when they are first in line for suitable remaining jobs during redundancy situations. Addressing discrimination at earlier stages of employment is crucial; hence, an employer and family representative group will be set up to develop recommendations on improving information availability and shifting the focus from end-of-process issues to proactive measures.