Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Business, Innovation and Skills – in the House of Commons at 10:30 am on 15 March 2012.
First, I congratulate the new Minister for employment law, the Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Norman Lamb. I am disappointed that he is not answering this question, but let me put it on record that he has been courteous and constructive in his role so far, and I wish him at least a modicum of success.
[
Interruption.
]
That is as far as my generosity goes, I am afraid.
With no plan for growth and consumer confidence at its lowest in decades, the Government are trying to make it easier to fire, rather than hire, people. There is an ongoing pitched battle between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Downing street, with the Secretary of State being dragged kicking and screaming to a no-fault dismissal consultation on which, indeed, a written statement was issued only 10 minutes ago. The new Minister said in October:
“I think it would be madness to throw away all employment protection in the way that’s proposed, and it could be very damaging to consumer confidence”,
and suggested that it was crazy. Does the Secretary of State agree with his new Minister?