To ask His Majesty's Government what the breakdown is of the uptake of neonatal care leave and pay by (1) mothers, and (2) fathers, since 6 April 2025.

To ask His Majesty's Government what the breakdown is of the uptake of neonatal care leave and pay by (1) mothers, and (2) fathers, since 6 April 2025.

To ask His Majesty's Government what the average length of neonatal care leave has been since 6 April 2025; and whether they will publish a breakdown of the number of parents taking neonatal care leave for each individual week of entitlement.

To ask His Majesty's Government what the average length of neonatal care leave has been since 6 April 2025; and whether they will publish a breakdown of the number of parents taking neonatal care leave for each individual week of entitlement.

To ask His Majesty's Government how many parents have (1) taken neonatal care leave, (2) received neonatal care pay, and (3) received both neonatal care leave and pay, since the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 came into force on 6 April 2025.

To ask His Majesty's Government how many parents have (1) taken neonatal care leave, (2) received neonatal care pay, and (3) received both neonatal care leave and pay, since the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 came into force on 6 April 2025.

My Lords, a key part of this mission is focused on the first 1,001 critical days of a child’s life. Evidence shows that having a father involved at this time supports the child’s future social and emotional development, as well as their future academic outcomes. Our current system of parental leave offers no support for self-employed fathers, meaning that only one in six takes any time off at all when their child is born. This contributes to the motherhood penalty. What are the Government going to do about this?

My Lords, a key part of this mission is focused on the first 1,001 critical days of a child’s life. Evidence shows that having a father involved at this time supports the child’s future social and emotional development, as well as their future academic outcomes. Our current system of parental leave offers no support for self-employed fathers, meaning that only one in six takes any time off at all when their child is born. This contributes to the motherhood penalty. What are the Government going to do about this?

My Lords, the Minister referred to the call for evidence, which closed in August. I appreciate that there were around 1,300 responses, but it has been five months since then, with not a word of an update from the Government. Could we get an update from the Minister now on progress in that last five months and a clear timetable for what the Government will spend the next 12 months doing?

My Lords, the Minister referred to the call for evidence, which closed in August. I appreciate that there were around 1,300 responses, but it has been five months since then, with not a word of an update from the Government. Could we get an update from the Minister now on progress in that last five months and a clear timetable for what the Government will spend the next 12 months doing?

My Lords, the Minister talked about the evidence needed. When Quebec introduced five weeks of paid paternity leave 20 years ago, not only did it increase the take-up and length of leave taken by dads, but it increased mothers’ labour-market participation by around 7%. Does the Minister accept that, based on the information available to us today and for the last 20 years, six weeks of paid paternity leave is the single biggest policy the Government could implement to close the motherhood pay penalty? There is a good growth case for introducing it and we do not need another 12-month review to reach those conclusions.

My Lords, the Minister talked about the evidence needed. When Quebec introduced five weeks of paid paternity leave 20 years ago, not only did it increase the take-up and length of leave taken by dads, but it increased mothers’ labour-market participation by around 7%. Does the Minister accept that, based on the information available to us today and for the last 20 years, six weeks of paid paternity leave is the single biggest policy the Government could implement to close the motherhood pay penalty? There is a good growth case for introducing it and we do not need another 12-month review to reach those conclusions.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take following the closure of the call for evidence for the parental leave and pay review.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take following the closure of the call for evidence for the parental leave and pay review.

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the findings and Government response to the parental leave and pay review call for evidence.

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the findings and Government response to the parental leave and pay review call for evidence.

Moved by

Baroness Penn

100: After Clause 26, insert the following new Clause—

“Statutory parental leave: length and pay

(1) The Secretary of State must lay a comprehensive review of all statutory parental leave before Parliament by no later than 1 January 2027.

(2) Within six months of the publication of the review set out...

Moved by

Baroness Penn

100: After Clause 26, insert the following new Clause—

“Statutory parental leave: length and pay

(1) The Secretary of State must lay a comprehensive review of all statutory parental leave before Parliament by no later than 1 January 2027.

(2) Within six months of the publication of the review set out...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, and the noble Lords, Lord Palmer and Lord Hampton, for their support, and all noble Lords who have spoken in this Chamber or outside of it in favour of improving leave for new fathers. I also have Amendments 101...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, and the noble Lords, Lord Palmer and Lord Hampton, for their support, and all noble Lords who have spoken in this Chamber or outside of it in favour of improving leave for new fathers. I also have Amendments 101...

My Lords, given the hour, I shall be brief. The Minister said that the Government have delivered on a manifesto commitment to launch a review, but the manifesto commitment was to complete a review by now. We should have seen the outcomes and be taking action, which is what my...

My Lords, given the hour, I shall be brief. The Minister said that the Government have delivered on a manifesto commitment to launch a review, but the manifesto commitment was to complete a review by now. We should have seen the outcomes and be taking action, which is what my...

My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 127, 128 and 139 in my name. Before doing so, I would like to add my support to all the amendments in this group, in particular Amendment 76 of the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, to which I have also added my name.

As we...

My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 127, 128 and 139 in my name. Before doing so, I would like to add my support to all the amendments in this group, in particular Amendment 76 of the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, to which I have also added my name.

As we...

The Minister said that this brings paternity leave in line with maternity leave, but for maternity leave, the right to pay is also a day-one

right. Does he acknowledge that the Bill does not create alignment between maternity and paternity?

The Minister said that this brings paternity leave in line with maternity leave, but for maternity leave, the right to pay is also a day-one

right. Does he acknowledge that the Bill does not create alignment between maternity and paternity?

Will the noble Lord clarify whether he just said that there are no day-one rights to parental pay, including for maternity?

Will the noble Lord clarify whether he just said that there are no day-one rights to parental pay, including for maternity?

Does the noble Lord acknowledge that maternity allowance is available from day one, at the same rate of pay as statutory paternity pay?

Does the noble Lord acknowledge that maternity allowance is available from day one, at the same rate of pay as statutory paternity pay?

Does the noble Lord acknowledge that, in linking the payments to CPI, what is actually happening is that we are seeing a bigger gap between statutory payments and people’s salaries, as the national minimum wage is increasing by a greater degree? The process that the noble Lord has laid out...

Does the noble Lord acknowledge that, in linking the payments to CPI, what is actually happening is that we are seeing a bigger gap between statutory payments and people’s salaries, as the national minimum wage is increasing by a greater degree? The process that the noble Lord has laid out...

Can the Minister confirm that the Government will meet that manifesto commitment to start the review within the first year, and can he give a timescale not just for when the review will start but for when it will be completed?

Can the Minister confirm that the Government will meet that manifesto commitment to start the review within the first year, and can he give a timescale not just for when the review will start but for when it will be completed?

Is that to start the review?

Is that to start the review?

I am sorry to interrupt the noble Lord again. He has just talked about the importance of a day-one right to paternity leave, giving fathers the ability to take that leave, but, as the noble Baroness, Lady O’Grady, said, unless it is paid, swathes of dads will not be able...

I am sorry to interrupt the noble Lord again. He has just talked about the importance of a day-one right to paternity leave, giving fathers the ability to take that leave, but, as the noble Baroness, Lady O’Grady, said, unless it is paid, swathes of dads will not be able...

My Lords, I add my congratulations to the quad of maiden speakers we have had in our debate today. In four minutes, you need to cut to the chase, so that is what I will do.

I am not someone who believes that that any improvement to employment rights negatively impacts...

My Lords, I add my congratulations to the quad of maiden speakers we have had in our debate today. In four minutes, you need to cut to the chase, so that is what I will do.

I am not someone who believes that that any improvement to employment rights negatively impacts...