Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has assessed the potential merits of introducing paid bereavement leave.

The loss of a loved one is one of the hardest things a person can experience. This is why we have introduced a new right to bereavement leave in the Employment Rights Bill which will be available to those grieving the loss of a loved one, including pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.

The Bill deals with the introduction of leave only, and we are consulting further on the detail of the entitlement to ensure it supports employees while remaining proportionate for employers. It will remain at employers' discretion to offer pay, as many already do.