§ 22. Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he is taking to assist the return of parents with dependants to the labour market.
Mr. JacksonMy colleagues and I take every opportunity to impress upon employers the need to adopt working practices which make it easier for employees to combine work and family responsibilities. This means more flexibility in hours of work and in holidays, job-sharing, career breaks, part-time working and, where appropriate, help with child care costs. In this time of demographic change, it will be the employers who develop family-friendly policies and practices who will be best placed to attract and retain scarce resources.