Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Timms and Sarah Russell

Monday 12th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Russell (Congleton) (Lab)]

3. What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the rate of statutory paternity pay on household financial resilience.

[The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)]

Parents should be able, without undue financial pressure, to spend time off work in their child’s vital early months. Our review of parental leave and pay, which is due to report early in the new year, is considering how working families can best be supported, including through statutory paternity pay.

[Sarah Russell]

My constituent got in touch with me after she had had an emergency caesarean section with twins. It was a traumatic experience. Her husband had to go back to work when she had been out of hospital for only a week. Does the Minister agree that this is not how we should be looking after parents in a civilised society, and that both the mother and the father in that situation would have been better served by longer periods of paid leave?

[Sir Stephen Timms]

I am concerned to hear about that experience. The Government recognise the vital role of fathers in supporting mothers and new-born children, particularly after difficult births, such as the one to which my hon. Friend has referred. Our parental leave and pay system is complicated. The review that is under way is looking at how paternity leave and pay and all the current entitlements are supporting working families. Across Government, families’ experiences, such as the one that she has brought to the House, are informing our future policy.