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Maternity and Parental Leave etc. and the Paternity and Adoption Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2008

We really do not have any fundamental objections to this statutory instrument, but there is one question to which I would like a response. Why are not maternity and paternity leave combined to be parental leave? That would mean that women were no longer quite so stigmatised, with problems about employment and so on. Why is this not being considered? If it is being considered, when can we have an answer? The idea that one parent should choose which of them takes on responsibility would seem to be a logical extension of much of the Government’s rhetoric, if not policy. When will some consideration of this be given? Other than that, I do not really have much to add to the debate, but it would surely be a logical extension of what we have talked about to allow fathers to share more of the leave and childcare duties.