Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many male civil servants have applied for shared parental leave since April 2015; and whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of male civil servants eligible for such leave in that period.

The information on uptake of shared parental leave is not collected centrally, so we are unable to provide the numbers. It is not possible to estimate the numbers as it depends on the individual’s personal circumstances. The Civil Service has a long history of enabling employees to work flexibly in order to achieve a positive work-life balance and help attract and retain staff, especially those with caring responsibilities.