Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to provide financial support for self-employed people taking adoption leave.

The government set out in its response to the Taylor Review of modern employment practices that it agrees with the principle of equalising benefits for the

self-employed. However, it is right that we only consider making changes to this area once we have carefully considered this in the wider context of tax, benefits and rights over the longer term.

The government has taken significant steps to equalise the state benefits provided to the employed and self-employed, including giving the self-employed access to the full rate of the new State Pension for the first time, (worth an additional £1,900 per year).