Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending neonatal care pay and leave to parents of all critically ill children under 16.

The Department for Business and Trade recognises the heartbreaking situation faced by parents of seriously ill children. We will consult on a leave and pay entitlement for parents in this situation in 2026. Further detail is included in the terms of reference for the review of employment rights for unpaid carers, which was published on 19 November 2025.

There are no plans to extend existing Neonatal Care Leave and Pay legislation to the parents of older children. This would be unsuitable, as it would require altering core principles of an act specifically designed around neonatal care and would risk impacting on the Act’s policy aims.