Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of statutory sick pay.

I know that my honourable friends will welcome the changes this Government is making to Statutory Sick Pay through the Employment Rights Bill, including extending eligibility to up to 1.3 million of the lowest paid employees and removing the waiting period.

We believe the current rate achieves the right balance between providing support for employees who are unable to work due to sickness whilst limiting the cost to employers.