On flexible working, the consultation has slipped and the pledge has been delayed, despite BIS finding it delivers net benefit, and the Government’s efforts to make Britain more family friendly.
Many have been surprised by Vince Cable’s delay of flexible working, announced in a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses today, given that it was a pledge in Conservative and Lib Dem Manifestoes, and in the coalition document.
Furthermore, Ed Davey said in June and in October last year that a consultation on the extension of flexible working would be launched “later in 2010”. As recently as January 17, Vince Cable and Nick Clegg told a Demos event “Right now, most parents simply do not have flexibility they need”. The Government Press Release said “The Department for Business will be launching a consultation soon which will explore proposals for the design of this more flexible system of parental leave. The consultation will also consider how best to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees.”
The Consultation has slipped and slipped, and now the government is delaying its pledge without even consulting on it.
This is despite an impact assessment produced in the Autumn which said that extending the right to parents of 17 years olds would give a net benefit of £20 million to government and business.
Keep Time for Children supports the extension of flexible working because it is likely to strengthen families and parenting, and begin to make in-roads into the £42 billion cost of family breakdown.
So it is even more worrying that documents from Number 10 suggest that the Childhood and Families taskforce has been involved in the u-turn, and has done nothing to stop it. This group, set up by Nick Clegg and chaired by David Cameron, was supposed to be making proposals to make Britain more family friendly.
It was due to report around the end of 2010, but the government will not say when it has met, what it has discussed, or when it will publish anything.
In 2007, it was revealed that the UK had the worst child well-being in Europe.
Commenting, Michael Trend, who heads the Keep Time for Children campaign, said:
“Employment is the crucial route out of our social and economic problems, but David Cameron will repeat the mistakes of the past if he drives the economy at the expense of family and community.”
“Family stability has a huge impact on children, parents and on wider social issues. Until the coalition realises that getting family life right delivers the biggest reform in almost every area of public life, it cannot hope to achieve its goals.”
“The Government have delayed for months the question of how Britain will become the most family friendly country in Europe. The Childhood and Families taskforce has been exposed as a toothless talking shop. These continual delays show the Government’s order of priorities.”
For further information, please contact John Ashcroft, Research Director, on
01223 909 408, or j.ashcroft@relationshipsfoundation-org.stackstaging.com