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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
Lead MP
Kevin Hollinrake
Debate Type
Bill Debate
Tags
EmploymentWomen & EqualitiesChildren & Families
Other Contributors: 4
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 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:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
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.
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.
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