Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps he has taken to support working families in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire through the parental leave system.

Through the Employment Rights Bill the Government will ensure that Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave are ‘day one’ rights, removing continuity of service requirements for employees.

In the Plan to Make Work Pay the Government committed to a review of the parental leave system. This review was launched on 1 July and will explore how the system can better support working families and reflect the realities of modern work and childcare. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements will be in scope.