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Employment Bill [HL]

Many years ago, in 1990 or 1991, a statutory sick pay Bill that went through this House. The noble Baroness, Lady Turner, might remember it. I was the hapless Minister taking it through. At the time, I knew a great deal about statutory sick pay and I think for a time I even understood it. But like the Schleswig-Holstein question, it has all disappeared from my mind. I always even then found statutory sick pay to be one of the more complicated benefits. I have a sneaking suspicion that the noble Lord, Lord Razzall, is probably right when he says that he is stretching the envelope somewhat in trying to include this in an employment Bill, but I admire his gall in trying to do so. I will also listen with interest to the Minister’s response, and I hope that some of what I used to know about statutory sick pay, and possibly some of what the noble Baroness, Lady Turner, used to know about it, might return to us as we listen.