Commons Sense

House of Commons · Bill Debate

Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill - Motion to instruct the Committee to broaden the scope of the Bill to include paternity leave

05 March 2024 · 4 other contributors

Opened by Kevin Hollinrake Con Thirsk and Malton

Employment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Kevin Hollinrake raised concerns about shared parental leave and pay (bereavement) bill - motion to instruct the committee to broaden the scope of the bill to include paternity leave in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton proposes to broaden the scope of the Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill to include paternity leave in cases involving the death of the mother, adoptive parent, or a person involved in a surrogacy arrangement.
  • The Bill aims to provide bereaved fathers with a shared parental leave entitlement.
  • The Government are working closely with the hon. Member for Ogmore on this issue to ensure adoptive and surrogate parents have similar employment rights as birth parents.

Key requests to Government

Question put and agreed to

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Kevin Hollinrake Con Thirsk and Malton

The hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton proposes an instruction to the Committee on the Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Bereavement) Bill that the Committee have leave to make provision about paternity leave in cases involving the death of—(a) the mother of a child, (b) a person with whom a child is, or is expected to be, placed for adoption, or (c) an applicant or intended applicant for a parental order under section 54 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. The Bill aims to provide bereaved fathers with a shared parental leave entitlement but the hon. Member suggests that paternity leave could be another suitable mechanism to achieve this objective. He emphasises that the Government are working closely with the hon. Member for Ogmore on this issue and aim to afford adoptive and surrogate parents similar employment rights as birth parents.

Other contributors (4)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Questions whether the Bill will apply in Northern Ireland, expressing support for the legislation and asking how it can be made applicable to those in Northern Ireland.

  • Justin Madders Lab Ellesmere Port and Bromborough

    Pays tribute to Chris Elmore for his work on the Bill, commends him for achieving Government support. He notes that the Bill will be an important advance in ensuring employment rights are equalised across all circumstances.

  • Darren Henry Con Broxtowe

    Intervenes to provide a personal example of how the lack of shared parental leave can affect bereaved fathers negatively, emphasising that this Bill will have a significant impact on those affected.

  • Chris Elmore Lab Bridgend

    Rises in support of the Minister’s motion and acknowledges the constructive engagement with the Government during the passage of this Bill. He highlights that while the Bill will affect a small number of people, it is hugely important to those impacted.

Get updates like this by email
▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy