Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 7 February 2018, Official Report, Column 1497, on the Taylor Review, what steps his Department is planning to take to raise awareness among expectant mothers of their workplace rights.

In the Government’s response to the Taylor Review we committed to continue to work with a range of partners including Acas and the Equality and Human Rights Commission to improve advice and guidance on pregnancy and maternity issues so that employers are more fully aware of their obligations and women better understand their rights.

Acas produced updated and comprehensive guidance in November 2017. Government will also update and consolidate the pregnancy and maternity discrimination pages on GOV.UK by summer 2018. To inform pregnant women of their rights at an early stage, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is working with the Department for Work and Pensions so that the MAT B1 form (the maternity certificate which enables a pregnant woman to claim Statutory Maternity Pay from her employer) signposts advice and guidance on pregnancy and maternity discrimination. BEIS and the Department for Health and Social Care are also working to signpost advice and guidance through the Start 4 Life campaign.