To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any work her Department has undertaken to ensure parental leave is as flexible and lengthy as possible, over the last five years.

Following public consultation, my “Good Jobs” Employment Rights Bill will result in improved parental leave measures by introducing carer’s leave and neonatal care leave. In addition, my Bill will enhance existing arrangements for paternity leave by enabling employees to qualify for this leave from the first day of employment, and by removing the current restriction on paternity leave being taken after a period of shared parental leave.

Additionally, using existing powers, I will bring forward measures to permit paternity leave to be taken as two separate weekly blocks or a single block of two weeks at any time within the first 52 weeks following birth or adoption. The notice requirements for paternity leave related to birth and surrogacy will also reduce from 15 weeks to 28 days for each period of leave.