Latest news with #JustinMadders
ITV News
4 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Proposal for law supporting parents of critically ill children blocked by Labour
A law proposed to give parents of critically ill children workplace rights and financial support has been blocked by Labour in the House of Lords. Under current law, parents of newborn babies who become unwell within the first 28 days of life are entitled to paid leave and job protection to be by their child's bedside. But if their child is diagnosed with cancer at 29 days old, the parents no longer have the right to financial support. Ceri and Frances Menai-Davis, who lost their young son to cancer, are campaigning for the government to bring in Hugh's Law, which would give parents statutory rights if their child is critically ill. It would have given parents the right to statutory paid leave and job protection from day one for parents whose child is diagnosed with a critical or terminal illness, up to the age of 16. The campaigners had been hopeful that the Employment Rights Bill could be amended by the lords after positive meetings with government officials - but to their disappointment, Labour ordered its peers to vote against the proposal. Asking for an explanation, Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann said Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders MP had "turned his back" on the parents. Responding, the minister said: "We're not turning our back on parents or children. We're actually having the biggest expansion in workers' rights and family-friendly policies that we've seen in a generation. "Clearly, we're not going to be able to satisfy every issue in this area. But that's the point of this review. We're looking at the system in the round. It needs improving, needs modernising. And that's what we intend to do." Why did Labour block Hugh's Law? Minister Justin Madders MP responds Ceri said it was "deeply disappointing" to see Labour reject the proposals, given they appear to have cross party support. Despite ordering peers to reject the amendment, Labour whip Lord Katz suggested in the House of Lords that the government could still bring in Hugh's Law at a further date. "We will consult on support for parents of seriously ill children, including the proposal for Hugh's Law," he said, describing the campaign as an "extremely important matter". Ceri and Frances set up the charity It's Never You and began campaigning for a law change in memory of their six-year-old son Hugh, who died of cancer in 2021. "After he passed away, and during the time that he had treatment, we witnessed parents just going through the worst time, obviously looking after their child, but also the worst time financially. "And we realised at that point there is nothing in place in the UK that provides support, financial support to parents of a sick child." At present, parents of critically ill children must rely on unpaid Carer's Leave, which is capped at just one week per year. Disability living allowance is available to claim on behalf of the child, but parents must wait 90 days before applying and an application can take up to 20 weeks to be processed. Ceri and Frances say the situation means there is a "cruel gap in support", not based on the severity of a child's illness but the date they are diagnosed. But the government's offer of a consultation does not fill them with much hope. "While we welcome the government's offer of a consultation, we are concerned that this could become yet another review that fails to deliver real change. "The proposed consultation won't begin until 2026, with no guaranteed outcome or legislative timetable. That is simply not good enough for families in crisis right now." Ceri added: "We have again reached out to ministers in the Department for Business and Trade and to the deputy prime minister, whose bill this amendment was part of, requesting a meeting and open dialogue. To date, we have had no response. "The fight for Hugh's Law continues. This is no longer a niche policy concern. It is becoming a matter of public conscience. Families deserve urgent action and Hugh's Law must be addressed with the seriousness and speed this crisis demands." A government spokesperson said: "We recognise the challenges that parents face when caring for seriously ill children, and we know many employers will show compassion and understanding in these circumstances. 'We pay tribute to the tireless campaigning from It's Never You in memory of their son, Hugh. We will continue to work with them as part of our review of carer's leave, which will look at further support for parents of seriously ill children.'
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Moves to ban ‘exploitative' unpaid internships a step closer
Ministers launched a call for evidence into the practice, saying it formed part of its plans for the biggest upgrade in workers' rights in a generation. The Government said internships offered young people invaluable experience as they build their careers, but added that when they were unpaid or paid below the national minimum wage, they created barriers to equal opportunity based on where people live, how old they are, or their social background. Unpaid internships are already largely banned under current law, when they are not part of an educational or training course, but ministers said they wanted to strengthen protections by gathering more evidence on how unpaid internships affect young people, and how businesses use them to assess candidates. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Every young person deserves the chance to build their career through quality work experience, but good employers are still being undercut by those exploiting interns by illegally asking them to work for free. 'Our Plan for Change seeks to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we will strengthen protections for younger workers so that internships are accessible to everyone, ensuring they have the foundations to build a strong and successful career.' Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said: 'Internships provide a strong platform from which to build a career, allowing young people to learn new skills and giving employers a pipeline of future talent to hire from to grow their business. 'Employers should not be taking advantage of the opportunities on offer by not paying their interns. 'This move will help us crack down on those not following the rules, so that the next generation of interns are able to gain that crucial experience whilst earning a fair wage.' Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 'Taking action on internships with low or no pay is absolutely the right thing to do. 'We've found that 61% of internships undertaken by recent graduates were unpaid or underpaid, effectively excluding those who can't rely on financial support from family. 'Employers will benefit from the wider pool of talent available to them, and three quarters of employers told us a ban wouldn't impact the number of opportunities they provide. 'Today's announcement marks a significant step in the right direction.' The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: 'Unpaid internships lock working-class kids out of jobs and opportunities, depriving them of the chance others take for granted. 'Young people trying to get started in their career are missing out on their dream jobs because they simply cannot afford to work for nothing. 'That's why we are taking action, and this call for evidence is the first step in delivering proper fairness and opportunity to young workers. We want to hear about people's experiences so we can build the evidence and act on this issue, creating the change that is needed.'
South Wales Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Moves to ban ‘exploitative' unpaid internships a step closer
Ministers launched a call for evidence into the practice, saying it formed part of its plans for the biggest upgrade in workers' rights in a generation. The Government said internships offered young people invaluable experience as they build their careers, but added that when they were unpaid or paid below the national minimum wage, they created barriers to equal opportunity based on where people live, how old they are, or their social background. Unpaid internships are already largely banned under current law, when they are not part of an educational or training course, but ministers said they wanted to strengthen protections by gathering more evidence on how unpaid internships affect young people, and how businesses use them to assess candidates. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Every young person deserves the chance to build their career through quality work experience, but good employers are still being undercut by those exploiting interns by illegally asking them to work for free. 'Our Plan for Change seeks to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we will strengthen protections for younger workers so that internships are accessible to everyone, ensuring they have the foundations to build a strong and successful career.' Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said: 'Internships provide a strong platform from which to build a career, allowing young people to learn new skills and giving employers a pipeline of future talent to hire from to grow their business. 'Employers should not be taking advantage of the opportunities on offer by not paying their interns. 'This move will help us crack down on those not following the rules, so that the next generation of interns are able to gain that crucial experience whilst earning a fair wage.' Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 'Taking action on internships with low or no pay is absolutely the right thing to do. 'We've found that 61% of internships undertaken by recent graduates were unpaid or underpaid, effectively excluding those who can't rely on financial support from family. 'Employers will benefit from the wider pool of talent available to them, and three quarters of employers told us a ban wouldn't impact the number of opportunities they provide. 'Today's announcement marks a significant step in the right direction.' The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: 'Unpaid internships lock working-class kids out of jobs and opportunities, depriving them of the chance others take for granted. 'Young people trying to get started in their career are missing out on their dream jobs because they simply cannot afford to work for nothing. 'That's why we are taking action, and this call for evidence is the first step in delivering proper fairness and opportunity to young workers. We want to hear about people's experiences so we can build the evidence and act on this issue, creating the change that is needed.'
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Moves to ban ‘exploitative' unpaid internships a step closer
Ministers launched a call for evidence into the practice, saying it formed part of its plans for the biggest upgrade in workers' rights in a generation. The Government said internships offered young people invaluable experience as they build their careers, but added that when they were unpaid or paid below the national minimum wage, they created barriers to equal opportunity based on where people live, how old they are, or their social background. Unpaid internships are already largely banned under current law, when they are not part of an educational or training course, but ministers said they wanted to strengthen protections by gathering more evidence on how unpaid internships affect young people, and how businesses use them to assess candidates. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Every young person deserves the chance to build their career through quality work experience, but good employers are still being undercut by those exploiting interns by illegally asking them to work for free. 'Our Plan for Change seeks to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we will strengthen protections for younger workers so that internships are accessible to everyone, ensuring they have the foundations to build a strong and successful career.' Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said: 'Internships provide a strong platform from which to build a career, allowing young people to learn new skills and giving employers a pipeline of future talent to hire from to grow their business. 'Employers should not be taking advantage of the opportunities on offer by not paying their interns. 'This move will help us crack down on those not following the rules, so that the next generation of interns are able to gain that crucial experience whilst earning a fair wage.' Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 'Taking action on internships with low or no pay is absolutely the right thing to do. 'We've found that 61% of internships undertaken by recent graduates were unpaid or underpaid, effectively excluding those who can't rely on financial support from family. 'Employers will benefit from the wider pool of talent available to them, and three quarters of employers told us a ban wouldn't impact the number of opportunities they provide. 'Today's announcement marks a significant step in the right direction.' The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: 'Unpaid internships lock working-class kids out of jobs and opportunities, depriving them of the chance others take for granted. 'Young people trying to get started in their career are missing out on their dream jobs because they simply cannot afford to work for nothing. 'That's why we are taking action, and this call for evidence is the first step in delivering proper fairness and opportunity to young workers. We want to hear about people's experiences so we can build the evidence and act on this issue, creating the change that is needed.'
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Moves to ban ‘exploitative' unpaid internships a step closer
Moves to ban the use of 'exploitative' unpaid internships have come a step closer after a Government announcement on Thursday. Ministers launched a call for evidence into the practice, saying it formed part of its plans for the biggest upgrade in workers' rights in a generation. The Government said internships offered young people invaluable experience as they build their careers, but added that when they were unpaid or paid below the national minimum wage, they created barriers to equal opportunity based on where people live, how old they are, or their social background. Unpaid internships are already largely banned under current law, when they are not part of an educational or training course, but ministers said they wanted to strengthen protections by gathering more evidence on how unpaid internships affect young people, and how businesses use them to assess candidates. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Every young person deserves the chance to build their career through quality work experience, but good employers are still being undercut by those exploiting interns by illegally asking them to work for free. 'Our Plan for Change seeks to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we will strengthen protections for younger workers so that internships are accessible to everyone, ensuring they have the foundations to build a strong and successful career.' Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said: 'Internships provide a strong platform from which to build a career, allowing young people to learn new skills and giving employers a pipeline of future talent to hire from to grow their business. 'Employers should not be taking advantage of the opportunities on offer by not paying their interns. 'This move will help us crack down on those not following the rules, so that the next generation of interns are able to gain that crucial experience whilst earning a fair wage.' Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 'Taking action on internships with low or no pay is absolutely the right thing to do. 'We've found that 61% of internships undertaken by recent graduates were unpaid or underpaid, effectively excluding those who can't rely on financial support from family. 'Employers will benefit from the wider pool of talent available to them, and three quarters of employers told us a ban wouldn't impact the number of opportunities they provide. 'Today's announcement marks a significant step in the right direction.' The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: 'Unpaid internships lock working-class kids out of jobs and opportunities, depriving them of the chance others take for granted. 'Young people trying to get started in their career are missing out on their dream jobs because they simply cannot afford to work for nothing. 'That's why we are taking action, and this call for evidence is the first step in delivering proper fairness and opportunity to young workers. We want to hear about people's experiences so we can build the evidence and act on this issue, creating the change that is needed.'
