Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kate Dearden and Joy Morrissey

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield) (Con)]

15. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of employment costs on levels of business recruitment.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)]

The UK was the fastest growing G7 economy in quarter 1 of this year, and we know that we will only achieve a thriving economy once people have a wage they can count on. We want to grow our economy with people in secure work. That is why we are giving greater certainty to more than half the UK’s workforce through our Employment Rights Act 2025 and putting more money in their pockets. External analysis by world-leading experts shows that the Act could increase employment, and our impact assessment shows that it will benefit more than 18 million workers across the country.

[Joy Morrissey]

The Employment Rights Act, the minimum wage and national insurance contributions are all making it difficult for employers to keep taking on new employees, or even to keep them at all. What advice does the Minister have for small business owners in Beaconsfield and Marlow having to make the difficult decision to either cut jobs or close their businesses thanks to this Government?