Baroness O'Cathain
Main Page: Baroness O'Cathain (Conservative - Life peer)(12 years, 5 months ago)
Lords ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Baroness Wilcox
There is fair and equal access to internships. We will watch to make sure that we continue it. We have made it clear through updated guidance what internships must provide to comply with the law. As the noble Lord knows, guidance for employers is at businesslink.gov.uk; and guidance for individuals is at direct.gov.uk. There are plenty of places where people can go to make sure that they have got the right information.
Baroness O'Cathain
My Lords, will my noble friend consider a proposition that my noble friend Lord Lucas and I have discussed in our office? We propose that if people were brought into an internship, the payment they would get would be equivalent to the benefits that they would receive if they were not working. That would probably be an answer to everybody. If, for example, the benefits were about £40 a week and if that could be transferred to pay them as an intern, there would be a win-win situation for everybody.
Baroness Wilcox
I am interested in what my noble friend says. I am sure that if she writes to me, I will be able to have a proper exchange with her on this.