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Work and Families Bill

I used to run a small business, and every employee was female and either had children or could have had children. One of the things that the Government sometimes forget is that, to a small business, its employees are the most important asset. I can remember giving time off to employees, because they needed to go home because their children were sick, and providing flexible working. We did that automatically—we did not need regulation to do so—but I understand that some companies might not do so and might need regulation. As I said in Committee, what concerns me is the cost of such regulation to small businesses. The one thing that I would have hoped that the Government would take on board, as happens in other countries, is that the cost of that regulation should be reimbursed to the employers. I think that that needs to be examined at some time in the future because it is important for small businesses. Although the Bill will look after mothers who want to go back to work, it will have little impact on mothers who choose to stay at home to bring their children up—full-time mothers. It is a shame that there is such an omission from the Bill. I hope that the Government will examine the matter again and give encouragement to mothers who want to stay at home full-time instead of going back to work.