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Written Question
Babies
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the five recommendations made in the report by the First 1001 Days Movement, A Manifesto for Babies, published on 19 March; and whether they intend to respond to each recommendation.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is strong evidence that the 1,001 days from pregnancy to the age of two years old set the foundations for our cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Investing in this critical period presents a real opportunity to improve outcomes and tackle health disparities by ensuring that thousands of babies and families have improved access to quality support and services. The Government is therefore already taking forward a range of actions in line with recommendations in the report by the First 1001 Days Movement to ensure that every baby gets the best start in life.

For example, in March 2021, the Government published The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days, a copy of which is attached. This vision sets out six action areas for improving support for families during the 1,001 critical days to ensure every baby in England is given the best possible start in life, regardless of background.

The Government is also investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. The programme is implementing many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation. Many local authorities without funding have also chosen to implement elements of the vision.

The programme funding package includes £10 million to enable five local authorities and their partners to pilot innovative early years workforce models, with the aim of improving the access, experience and outcomes of babies, children, and families, and supporting the capacity and job satisfaction of the workforces involved.

To support new parents, Statutory Maternity Pay is paid by employers to qualifying employed women for a maximum of 39 weeks, the first six weeks of which are paid at 90% of the women’s salary followed by 33 weeks at the lower of either the standard rate or 90% of the woman’s average weekly earnings. For those who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance may be available. This is a benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to eligible women and is intended for those who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay. The standard rate of maternity pay is reviewed annually.

Paternity Leave arrangements enable employed fathers and partners, including same sex partners, who meet the qualifying conditions to take up to two weeks of paid leave within the first eight weeks following the birth of their child or placement for adoption. The Government has recently announced changes to make Paternity Leave and Pay more flexible for working families from April 2024. This includes allowing fathers and partners to take their leave and pay at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child.

A Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme is also available, giving working families much more choice and flexibility about who cares for their child in the first year, and when.


Written Question
Out of Area Treatment: Families
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of having to visit (a) children and (b) babies in hospital out of area on low income families.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

There are a number of financial support schemes available to support low-income families, so that they can in turn support their children or babies while they are in hospital. These include: the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, which offers financial support to eligible parents and carers to enable them to make the journey to hospital while their baby or child is being cared for; the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023, which is due to provide qualifying new parents with a right to 12 weeks’ leave and pay when their baby requires neonatal care, in addition to existing parental leave entitlements, to help address the financial barriers faced by families; and the Sure Start Maternity Grant, which aims to help low-income families meet the wider costs of having a new baby.


Written Question
Maternity Leave: Labour Turnover
Monday 26th February 2024

Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which industries experience the highest (a) loss and (b) retention of female staff after maternity leave.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The 2019 Parental Rights Survey shows that over a fifth (22%) of mothers reported not returning to work or starting another job following birth. Mothers working in ‘Hospitality’ (38%) and ‘Wholesale and Retail’ (27%) sectors were more likely to report they did not return or start another job than mothers in ‘Public Administration, Health and Education’ (15%).[1]

Over half (54%) of all mothers returned to the same job following birth. Mothers working in ‘Public Administration, Health and Education’ were more likely (63%) to report returning to the same job than those in ‘Business, Professional Services, Leisure and Other Services’ (50%) and ‘Hospitality’ industries (35%)[2].

1, [2] The sectors reported represent those where there are statistically significant differences from the total.


Written Question
Parental Leave
Tuesday 30th January 2024

Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what she is taking to help ensure that new parents are able to take the (a) maternity and (b) paternity leave that they are entitled to in the context of the rising cost of living.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK has a generous system of parental leave and pay entitlements which include Maternity and Paternity Leave and Pay.

The standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay and Paternity Pay is reviewed annually. Subject to parliamentary approval, from April 2024, it will increase by 6.7% from £172.48 to £184.03.

Statutory parental payments are designed to offer a degree of earnings replacement and have never been intended to fully replace lost earnings. The Government also has provisions in place such as tax credits, child benefit and Universal Credit, which provide support with the cost of raising children.


Written Question
Students: Loans
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average repayment period for graduates to repay their tuition fee student loans is.

Answered by Robert Halfon

As education is a devolved issue, the following answers concern the student finance system in England only. The student finance systems of the devolved administrations differ from that of England.

The point at which a borrower becomes liable to begin repaying a student loan is known as the Statutory Repayment Due Date (SRDD); this is normally the start of the tax year (6 April) after graduating or otherwise leaving their course. After the SRDD, borrowers are required to make repayments if their income is above the repayment threshold. The forecast average loan balances of borrowers on their SRDD is published at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2022-23.

Borrowers starting their studies in the 2023/24 academic year will take out loans under different repayment terms, known as Plan 5, to those starting in the 2022/23 academic year who repay under Plan 2. Loan balances at SRDD for Plan 2 borrowers are higher due to being charged an interest rate above inflation during their studies.

The student loan repayment earning thresholds differ between the loan plan types and are published here: https://www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan/what-you-pay.

Borrower earnings paths are complex. Some borrowers will have earnings which reach or exceed the repayment threshold for their plan type, others will not; some borrowers will, on multiple occasions, reach or exceed the threshold in one pay period and then fall below it the next. Unemployment, career breaks, parental leave, sick leave, and the undertaking of further study are all common life events that may drop earnings below the repayment threshold for a period of time. The cost of modelling and analysis required to answer the question would breach the disproportionate cost limit.

The average repayment period of student finance borrowers in England is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2022-23.

Borrowers starting their studies in the 2023/24 academic year will take out loans under different repayment terms, known as Plan 5, to those starting in the 2022/23 academic year who repay under Plan 2. Plan 5 borrowers have longer maximum repayment periods of 40 years than Plan 2 borrowers with maximum repayment periods of 30 years. Less than 50% of plan 2 borrowers are expected to fully repay their loans, and so the median repayment period is the plan 2 maximum of 30 years. Many more Plan 5 borrowers are expected to fully repay their loans. The median repayment period for the 2023/24 cohort is forecasted to be 31 years, within the Plan 5 maximum of 40 years.


Written Question
Students: Loans
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average student loan debt once graduates reach the threshold for repayment is.

Answered by Robert Halfon

As education is a devolved issue, the following answers concern the student finance system in England only. The student finance systems of the devolved administrations differ from that of England.

The point at which a borrower becomes liable to begin repaying a student loan is known as the Statutory Repayment Due Date (SRDD); this is normally the start of the tax year (6 April) after graduating or otherwise leaving their course. After the SRDD, borrowers are required to make repayments if their income is above the repayment threshold. The forecast average loan balances of borrowers on their SRDD is published at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2022-23.

Borrowers starting their studies in the 2023/24 academic year will take out loans under different repayment terms, known as Plan 5, to those starting in the 2022/23 academic year who repay under Plan 2. Loan balances at SRDD for Plan 2 borrowers are higher due to being charged an interest rate above inflation during their studies.

The student loan repayment earning thresholds differ between the loan plan types and are published here: https://www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan/what-you-pay.

Borrower earnings paths are complex. Some borrowers will have earnings which reach or exceed the repayment threshold for their plan type, others will not; some borrowers will, on multiple occasions, reach or exceed the threshold in one pay period and then fall below it the next. Unemployment, career breaks, parental leave, sick leave, and the undertaking of further study are all common life events that may drop earnings below the repayment threshold for a period of time. The cost of modelling and analysis required to answer the question would breach the disproportionate cost limit.

The average repayment period of student finance borrowers in England is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2022-23.

Borrowers starting their studies in the 2023/24 academic year will take out loans under different repayment terms, known as Plan 5, to those starting in the 2022/23 academic year who repay under Plan 2. Plan 5 borrowers have longer maximum repayment periods of 40 years than Plan 2 borrowers with maximum repayment periods of 30 years. Less than 50% of plan 2 borrowers are expected to fully repay their loans, and so the median repayment period is the plan 2 maximum of 30 years. Many more Plan 5 borrowers are expected to fully repay their loans. The median repayment period for the 2023/24 cohort is forecasted to be 31 years, within the Plan 5 maximum of 40 years.


Written Question
Bereavement Leave
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has plans to increase the amount of statutory paid leave to parents who lose a child under the age of 18 are entitled to.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises that the death of a child is a tragic event. In April 2020, we introduced a new statutory entitlement to up to two weeks’ Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay for parents who lose a child under the age of 18.

The Government has no plans to increase this amount of statutory paid leave, but we strongly encourage employers to act with compassion and go beyond the statutory minimum when they are able to.


Written Question
Carers: Leave
Monday 18th December 2023

Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to regulation 13 of the draft Carer's Leave Regulations 2024 laid on 11 December 2023, for what reason the average rate of remuneration is calculated over a period of 12 weeks.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The calculation for establishing a week’s pay in the Employment Rights Act 1996 is set out in Part 14 Chapter II and the relevant period provided for the calculation is 12 weeks. Regulation 13 of the Carer’s Leave Regulations ensures that when making this calculation, weeks which include unpaid Carer’s Leave are discounted when it comes to calculating a week’s pay, as is the case with other forms of family leave, including unpaid Parental Leave.


Written Question
Baby Care Units: Parental Leave
Monday 11th December 2023

Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)

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.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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.


Written Question
Teachers: Parents
Wednesday 6th December 2023

Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to retain teachers when they become parents.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Great teaching is transformational for children’s life chances, but the department cannot achieve its ambitions unless there are sufficient teachers. The department recognises there is more to do to ensure teaching remains an attractive, high-status profession, and to recruit and retain the best teachers. The department wants teaching to be an inclusive profession where all teachers, regardless of background or circumstance, are supported throughout their career journeys.

The department’s ‘Teacher Recruitment and Retention’ strategy, published in 2019, outlines the department’s approach to improving teacher retention, including activities which contribute to supporting teachers returning from parental leave or those with caring responsibilities.

Well-designed flexible working can enable individuals to reconcile work and caring responsibilities. The department is taking action to promote flexible working in schools, including by publishing non-statutory guidance and case studies on GOV.UK, a flexible working toolkit, and funding a programme focused on embedding flexible working in schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs).

This programme includes the delivery of supportive webinars and peer support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and MATs. This funded programme offers practical support with combining flexible working life as a parent, including how flexible working can be navigated alongside career progression.

The department is also clear about the importance of efforts to reduce unnecessary workload and an improved wellbeing offer for all teachers. Workload is often cited as an important reason why teachers leave the profession. The department is supporting schools to act and remove unhelpful practice that creates unnecessary workload. The department’s school workload reduction toolkit, developed alongside school leaders, is a helpful resource for schools to review and reduce workload.

In September 2023, the department launched a workload reduction taskforce. The taskforce is made up of union representatives, experts and experienced practitioners. The taskforce will make recommendations to government, Ofsted and school and trust leaders by the end of March 2024.

Staff wellbeing is also crucial to the department’s commitment to recruit and retain more teachers and support teacher quality. The department has worked in partnership with the education sector and mental health experts to co-create the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter and is encouraging schools to sign up as a shared commitment to promote staff wellbeing. Over 3,000 schools and colleges have signed up to the charter since it was launched for sign-up in November 2021.