Ms Polly Billington

I am grateful, in particular, to see the right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart) back in his place. I was particularly struck by the significant intellectual differences between him and those of us on the Government side of the House about the importance of the public realm and investment in our communities in order for those places to flourish. I think that most of us on the Government Benches understand that we cannot look to the horizon and seize those opportunities of entrepreneurialism unless we are secure in ourselves and our communities and have those assets available. That is why the investment in our national health service is so important. There has been no assessment from the Conservatives of the importance or the potential or actual costs to business of days off due to sickness. Long waiting lists have caused insecurity and uncertainty in small businesses in my community, increasing both costs through staff absences and pressure on management. It is important for us to have security as well as flexibility in our employment market. Indeed, the small business owner Carly Cannings, who runs the Happy Business School, has said that our Employment Rights Bill is “a set in the right direction towards raising standards.”––[Official Report, Employment Rights Public Bill Committee, 26 November 2024; c. 28, Q22.] I know that responsible business owners want to ensure that they can recruit and retain staff. That is vital in small communities such as mine, where our high streets have been hollowed out.