Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Parental Leave and Pay

22 March 2022 · 3 other contributors · 6,772 words

Opened by Kirsten Oswald SNP East Renfrewshire

Responding minister: Paul Scully

EmploymentChildren & Families

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Kirsten Oswald raised concerns about parental leave and pay in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • UK has second lowest payment rates for maternity leave among OECD countries, with less than a third of gross average earnings replaced by statutory maternity pay.
  • Number of employed parents claiming maternity allowance dropped by 45% between 2016 and 2021, affecting up to 85,000 parents.
  • Government urged to address issues related to maternity allowance and statutory maternity pay in universal credit, extend redundancy protections for pregnant women and new mothers.

Key requests to Government

The UK Government should address issues related to maternity allowance and statutory maternity pay in universal credit, extend redundancy protections for pregnant women and new mothers, introduce an employment Bill addressing workers' rights, increase maternity leave to one year with better pay provisions, enhance shared parental leave benefits, and support legislative progress on bereavement and miscarriage leave.

How the debate unfolded

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

Opened the debate

Kirsten Oswald SNP East Renfrewshire

The UK has the second lowest payment rates for maternity leave among OECD countries, with less than a third of gross average earnings replaced by statutory maternity pay. The number of employed parents claiming maternity allowance dropped by 45% between 2016 and 2021 due to Conservative Government policy, affecting up to 85,000 parents. Self-employed individuals take minimal parental leave, and there are concerns about the lack of employment rights protection for various workers.

Other contributors (3)
  • Angela Crawley Lab Croydon South

    As an employer and a new parent, Angela Crawley highlighted the financial constraints that force parents to return to work prematurely. She emphasized the gender pay gap exacerbated by current parental leave policies, advocating for comprehensive workplace reforms including miscarriage leave and neonatal leave. She questioned the status of the Employment Bill aimed at improving protections for workers and ensuring robust provisions for parental leave and pay.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Mr. Jim Shannon highlighted the importance of parental leave and pay, stressing that it is crucial for employers to offer flexibility and support to parents. He mentioned that shared parental leave has reached its lowest rate in 10 years despite increased mental health concerns among children due to the pandemic. Mr. Shannon also cited a poll by The Mirror which revealed that many parents are denied parental leave and are forced to take sick days, impacting their employment record negatively.

  • Justin Madders Lab Ellesmere Port and Bromborough

    Mr Madders highlighted the poor take-up of shared parental leave, noting that in 2019-20 it was just 3.6%, far short of the Government's 25% target. He cited a study by EMW Law which found a 17% fall in applications during the pandemic to 11,200 couples, with only 2% of women taking shared leave. Mr Madders argued that leading groups such as Maternity Action and the Fawcett Society have called for urgent rethinking of the scheme due to its complexity and poor uptake.

Government Response

Paul Scully

I congratulate the hon. Member for East Renfrewshire on securing this debate and thank those who have taken part for their thoughtful and insightful comments. The Government are committed to ensuring employed parents have right support available to them, including generous and flexible parental leave and pay entitlements such as maternity leave (52 weeks total, 39 of which are paid), paternity leave (up to two weeks paid within the first eight weeks following birth or adoption placement), shared parental leave and pay (up to 50 weeks leave and up to 37 weeks pay in the first year of a child's life), and neonatal leave and pay. The Government have also extended redundancy protection periods for pregnant employees, adoptive parents, and those taking shared parental leave. Additionally, all employed parents are entitled to 18 weeks unpaid leave per child up to age 18 and time off for dependants in case of emergencies. A new statutory entitlement provides two weeks of parental bereavement leave and pay following the death of a child. The Government also consult on making flexible working arrangements more accessible, including extending the right to request such arrangements from day one of employment. The Minister reiterated the commitment to support parents in the workplace, enabling them to balance family commitments with staying in employment.

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