Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent estimate she has made of (a) when neonatal care and leave will be provided under the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 and (b) the number of families that will be able to access that care and leave in its first year.

We are committed to introducing Neonatal Care Leave and Pay as quickly as possible and work is ongoing across Government to deliver these new entitlements by April 2025 at the earliest, subject to parliamentary scheduling of the necessary SIs.

In the region of 40,000 babies spend over one week in neonatal care each year and it is estimated that approximately 60,000 parents will be eligible for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay with around 34,000 parents taking up this entitlement every year.