Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Paternity Leave: Low-income Earners

Thursday 11 December 2025 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Maya Ellis questioned the Minister about the Dad Shift's analysis showing 90% of paternity leave is claimed by higher-earning fathers, particularly in London and the southeast.
  • Jim Shannon inquired about steps the Government could take to increase statutory paternity pay to match a reasonable proportion of wages across the UK.
  • The Minister responded that a review will consider all forms of parental leave and pay, inviting Jim Shannon to participate in the process.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Maya Ellis Lab Ribble Valley
Employment Women & Equalities
Context

The Dad Shift's latest analysis shows that 90% of paternity leave is claimed by fathers in the top half of earners, with a significant proportion being from London and the south-east. The questioner mentions meeting Anna Whitehouse and George Gabriel later to discuss inclusive policies for all parents.

Question

I thank the Minister for how seriously she is taking this issue when, according to the latest analysis by the Dad Shift, 90% of paternity leave is claimed by fathers in the top half of earners, with almost a third of those being in London and the south-east. Anna Whitehouse and George Gabriel, who I will meet later today, are among a huge cacophony of voices in this country that are crying out for us to recognise the need for inclusive policies that put the voices of all parents at the heart of our growth, health and wellbeing strategies. Can the Minister confirm that this Labour Government will finally put them there?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)

I thank my hon. Friend and those she mentions for their unwavering commitment to supporting parents—I was delighted to meet the Dad Shift recently. We are committed to improving the lives of working families. Alongside expanding access to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave, benefiting over 1 million more parents, we are strengthening flexible working rights and bolstering protections for new and expectant mothers. But more needs to be done. This year, we launched the parental leave and pay review to explore how the system can better support working families and reflect modern work and childcare realities. I look forward to working with her and hearing further from her constituents about the impact those changes could have for working people, especially those on lower incomes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm commitment specifically for inclusive policies that support all parents

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Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

Low-income workers often cannot afford unpaid or low-paid leave, causing fathers to feel obliged to return to work to receive full pay. This question seeks steps the government can take to increase statutory paternity pay to match a reasonable proportion of wages across the UK.

Question

Many low-income workers often cannot afford unpaid or low-paid leave, so fathers feel obliged to return to work to receive full pay. What steps can the Government take to increase statutory paternity pay to match the reasonable proportion of wages across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)

The hon. Member will have heard my reference to a review. It will consider all forms of parental leave and pay, alongside current and future parental leave entitlements. I urge him to get involved in that process, and look forward to hearing from him as part of it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps for increasing statutory paternity pay

How: Urged Involvement In The Review

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