Baby Leave for Members of Parliament

Debate between Harriet Harman and Cat Smith

Thursday 1st February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Ms Harman]

Absolutely; my hon. Friend is spot on.

“Erskine May”, our parliamentary rules bible, says absolutely nothing about pregnancy, which is no surprise at all. It used to be the case that the overwhelming majority of Members were men. It was not that those men were not parents; it was just that they regarded a baby as the sole responsibility of their wives. There were hardly any women in this House then, and those who were here were mostly older women whose children had grown up or who had no children. That was certainly the case when I had my three children as a young Member of this House. I was the only woman in the House having babies at that time. Things have now changed, and the sight of growing pregnant bumps in our Division Lobby is commonplace and celebrated on both sides of the House.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

On that point, will my right hon. and learned Friend give way?

[Ms Harman]

Speaking of pregnant bumps, I give way to my hon. Friend.

[Cat Smith]

I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for making an excellent speech, and declare my interest as one of those Members with a growing bump. Does she agree that that highlights the urgency with which we have to address the issue? I am not the only Member of the House who is currently pregnant. Does she agree that we are working to a deadline? Babies do not wait; it is not going to stay in there forever.

[Ms Harman]

I certainly do agree and I congratulate my hon. Friend. I am looking forward to meeting the new arrival.

The reason we are proposing this change now is that the House has changed profoundly in its attitudes and its membership. Now, many men want and expect to play their part with a new baby.