(2 weeks, 4 days ago)
Lords Chamber
Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
The noble Baroness raises an important point. The development of technology and what can be augmented leaves the human aspect very much to the fore, which can include issues around discernment and judgment. The Government have a number of courses and training opportunities—for example, to support businesses in management. I know that the Office for Students is looking carefully at what all this means for higher education, for example, and the Department for Education has provided a range of advice to schools about this. The noble Baroness’s point is well made and is something that the future of work unit will look at, among its other considerations.
My Lords, the Minister has been very clear on how much it will cost. But it is not clear to me, and not for the first time, how effective the Government’s money—taxpayers’ money—will be when it is spent in this way.
Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
Some of the programmes that I have mentioned, including the TechFirst programme, have been running for some time. TechFirst has been successfully run and we learn from what is effective. We work carefully with partners to deliver these programmes. They are seeing good outcomes in the alumni who then go into the industry.
(2 months, 1 week ago)
Lords Chamber
Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
The paternity review will look at whether we should extend the current entitlement for qualifying employees under the new rights that have come in, which for qualifying employees is two weeks’ leave paid at the statutory rate. The parental leave and pay review is considering whether this entitlement is sufficient.
My Lords, what is the cost of this scheme that the Government want to bring in?
Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
The costs of all the schemes that are being suggested and the potential expansions of rights, whether for self-employed fathers or mothers, will be considered. We have taken into account the costings that have been put to us by some of the groups that are advocating for these measures, and we are assessing the full costs of these as part of the review.