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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has plans to implement shared parental pay and paternity pay as a right for all employees from their first day of employment.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is currently evaluating the Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme and, subject to the data collection process, we expect to report on this later this year.

The evaluation will look at the take up of Shared Parental Leave and Pay by fathers and partners, barriers to take-up, and how the scheme is being used in practice.

As a part of the data collection process, we will, amongst other things, gather information on the take up of Paternity Leave and Pay by fathers and partners.

The evaluation will improve the evidence base and inform future policy development in these areas.