Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Act 2025 on employment opportunities for young people in the hospitality sector; and how he plans to ensure that restrictions on zero-hours contracts and flexible working do not lead to reduced staffing levels and fewer entry-level roles in pubs and similar businesses.

The Government published a comprehensive assessment that shows young workers, typically disproportionately represented in low-paid, low quality and insecure jobs will be amongst the largest beneficiaries of the Act.

We are changing legislation through the Act to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted where they are reasonable and feasible.

The Act does not prevent employers from hiring workers on zero hours contracts and workers will be able to remain on them if it suits their needs. We are committed to consulting fully with stakeholders, including within the hospitality sector, to determine the next level of policy detail, to be set in regulations.