Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that increased labour costs could cause firms (1) to hire fewer workers, and (2) to replace jobs with robots and artificial intelligence technologies.

Delivering on our plan to Make Work Pay is a core part of the mission to grow the economy, raise living standards and create opportunities for all. We are committed to working in partnership with businesses to realise that ambition, enabling businesses and workers to thrive.

My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis includes consideration of increases in labour costs for businesses and the subsequent effects. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments